Portsmouth chief fears player availability as time runs out for Sunderland, Ipswich and Peterborough and League One season

Following today’s scheduled Football League board meeting, its members will be given five days to vote on whether to fulfil the remaining fixtures or focus purely on a play-off competition.

Catlin has previously admitted the balance has tipped towards clubs preferring to scrap the season.

Meanwhile, a pivotal issue remains those players whose contracts expire on June 30.

And further delays in a potential return to action could, as a consequence, have a massive impact on player availability.

Pompey’s chief executive said: ‘Hopefully we will find out next week, but by that time we will be into June and there are still 2-3 weeks required to get players back to training – then you have 56 days to complete.

‘I am not sure how we then manage to get this done beyond July 31, which I feel has always been the backstop in regards of player contracts.

‘You can keep them until June 30 – however, there is then a month’s severance.

‘We have always worked on the assumption that, with the goodwill of players. they will carry on during that month because they cannot sign for another club.

‘Asking them to stay on for a month is one thing, asking them to go into a new deal beyond July 31 for a limited amount of time when they risk injury is something completely different.

‘I am not talking specifically about Pompey. Speaking generally, take a club who have a player whose contract ends in June, but is willing to play on into July because of the severance pay.

‘Asking them to go beyond that could be a problem because they may have already done another deal with another club.

‘I think it is a big ask, especially when those players are risking injury.’

While the likes of Pompey, Peterborough, Ipswich and Tranmere wish to complete the season, the sway appears to be tipping towards the other option.

And Catlin believes the player contract issue does not help Pompey’s cause.

He added: ‘Trying to get clubs to agree to continue is a difficult task anyway.

‘When you go beyond the end of July, even clubs that are wavering may start to look at it and say this just adds more to the argument of those that don’t wish to continue the season.’

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