Sunderland's League One promotion rivals gear up for return to training

No date has yet been set for when the 2020-21 campaign will kick-off with clubs set to hold further talks this week, with either August 29 or September 12 looking likely.

The Sunderland squad is currently on furlough leave until the end of August but can be recalled at short notice.

Their rivals Ipswich, meanwhile, are planning for a return to the training field towards the end of this month, with a phased return subject to strict controls and guidelines.

“There is nothing concrete in place at all about when the season will start and how,” said the club’s general manager football operations Lee O’Neill to the Ipswich Star.

“A couple of dates have been mentioned and we are putting the wheels in motion for the players to return towards the end of this month.

“Obviously we have to have everything in place to meet the guidelines and that presents challenges in itself but we will be ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Gareth Ainsworth admits it would be an honour to rewrite the history books with Wycombe as he bids to make it third time lucky at Wembley on Monday night.

The Chairboys go into the Sky Bet League One play-off final against local rivals Oxford with a chance of reaching the second tier for the first time in the club's 133-year existence.

Manager Ainsworth suffered penalty shoot-out heartache with Wanderers on his previous visit to the national stadium in the 2015 League Two play-off final, while he played for Preston when they were beaten by his current team at the same stage back in 1994.

"We could be finishing this season off upsetting the record books and hopefully rewriting the history books," said Ainsworth.

"It would be the first time Wycombe are in any sort of level like this and it would be a proud moment for me to lead them there.

"It's a huge game, the biggest game in the club's league history without a shadow of a doubt.”