Portsmouth on alert as EFL confirms play-off semi-final and final schedule

The league’s governing body has also revealed that the final day of the season has been put back 24 hours to Sunday, May 9.

Pompey’s last game of the regular term against Accrington was due to be played on the Saturday, but a decision has been made to move all League One matches to the next day, with Championship and League Two fixtures remaining unchanged.

All third-tier fixtures will kick-off at midday.

That means one less day of preparation if Danny Cowley’s side make it to the play-offs.

However, more than a week separates the final league game and the start of that part of the promotion race.

No fixture (third v sixth or fourth v fifth) has been allocated a specific date yet.

It is also unconfirmed at this stage when teams will have home advantage.

But the first-leg games in League One will be played on Tuesday, May 18, and Wednesday, May 19, at 6pm respectively.

Second-leg matches will then be held on Friday, May 21 (7.45pm) and Saturday, May 22 (3pm).

The winners of both ties will meet at Wembley on Sunday, May 30 (3pm) for the right to battle it out for the one remaining place in the 2021-22 Championship.

Back in February, the government announced that up to 10,000 fans could be back in stadiums by mid-May as part of their plans to move England out of lockdown.

That means some Pompey fans could be allowed in to lend their support in the play-offs.

At present, the Blues sit fifth in the table with seven games remaining.

Looking back over the past two years, the fourth v fifth game always precedes the third v sixth fixture.

Meanwhile, the higher-ranked team normally has home advantage for the second leg.

If the current play-off places remained the same, Pompey would likely face fourth-placed Blackpool, with the first leg game at Fratton Park on Tuesday, May 18, before travelling to Bloomfield Road on Friday, May 21.

Third-placed Sunderland and Lincoln (sixth) would contest the other semi-final, with the Black Cats having home advantage in the second leg.