Peterborough United frustrated as League One start date announcement is delayed again and former club coach is linked with the assistant manager’s job at the Weston Homes Stadium

Posh director of football Barry Fry says the EFL, the Premier League and the FA are still holding talks on the matter, although September 12 remains the likeliest opening day date.

Fry said: “It’s incredibly frustrating, but we’ve now been told we won’t hear anything about a start date until July 24. The Premier League and the FA are still talking with the EFL about cups and all sorts.

“It’s driving our manager Darren Ferguson up the wall as he can’t plan properly for next season. It can’t start any later than September 12 or we’ll never get the fixtures in. If we start on September 12 it will be six months between competitive matches for us.”

Posh have already binned plans for a pre-season training camp in Portugal in late August because of concerns about travel restrictions. They are now likely to seek a short break away in the UK.

Ferguson wants his first-team players to return to training next Monday (July 20) when he hopes to reveal the identity of his new assistant manager.

A new name in the frame is former West Ham and Charlton player Mark Robson who enjoyed an outstanding previous spell as Posh first-team coach.

Robson coached alongside Ferguson and Kevin Russell Russell at Posh between 2010 and 2012 before leaving to become manager of Barnet.

He had been appointed first-team coach by Posh manager Gary Johnson just weeks after quitting the assistant manager’s job at Gillingham.

Robson was a key man in the Posh promotion from League One of 2010-11 and in the successful Championship season of 2011-12 and Posh were sorry to see him leave London Road. The club were relegated the following season.

He is currently working at St George’s Park for an England age group side after spells as first-team coach at Norwich and Aston Villa.

Fry wouldn’t reveal the name of the new man. He said: “We’ve had to work hard to get the man we wanted, but we think we are there.

“He’s currently in a job so there was some negotiating to do, but the man was Darren’s first choice.

“We didn’t have to go any further down the list.”

The assistant manager vacancy opened up when Strachan was appointed first-team coach at Celtic last month. Ferguson has admitted he has worked with the new man before.