This is the date Portsmouth players will begin preparations for the 2020-21 season

The Blues squad have been given their date to begin preparations for the 2020-21 season.

And it means they now have a little over a week left of what will be just a four-week closed-season period.

Kenny Jackett’s men ended the campaign in disappointment with a penalty shootout play-off defeat against Oxford United on July 3.

Chief executive Mark Catln has highlighted the difficulties in making pre-season preparations with a lack of clarity over when the next campaign will begin.

But the EFL yesterday confirmed September 12 as the start date, with August 29 the other option on the table.

It means Jackett’s men will have a near six-week build-up to their bid to make it out of League One at the fourth attempt.

There is still no news on the games Pompey will play in their pre-season programme, although they are expected to remain in England after travelling to Ireland in recent years.

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