Peterborough United manager believes extending the League One season would be wise, but his players are all now virus-free with one exception

Posh are one of several third tier clubs to have suffered a raft of postponements because of positive covid tests within the playing squad.

Posh still have 28 League One fixtures to fit in including the four recently postponed matches against Ipswich (home), Charlton (home), Doncaster (home) and Gillingham (away) and they are still in the EFL Trophy.

Next Tuesday (January 5) has been ruled out as clubs are unsure of their availability. That leaves nine free midweek dates before the scheduled end of the League One campaign on Saturday, May 8.

Bad weather, the likelihood of more positive Covid results and a run in the Trophy would reduce that number.

Posh are understood to have pencilled in Tuesday, February 2 for one of their rerranged games, but that is also the date for the Trophy quarter-finals.

Following the postponement of this Saturday’s game with Doncaster, Posh are now due back in action on January 9 at League One leaders Lincoln City, a game that will be televised live on Sky (12.30pm kick off).

The Posh squad resumed training yesterday (December 28) after all tested negative for Covid apart from one young player.

“We are looking at playing 14-15 games in 42 days,” Ferguson, who has stayed clear of the virus, said. “That will be the same for a lot of clubs. We have four so far to rearrange, but Covid cases are piling up so it’s tough to get everything sorted.

“It’s not just us. Most of the other League One clubs are in the same boat. There are so many games to rearrange it’s quite complicated.

“The EFL would be wise to consider an extension to the League One season, I don’t think they will, but if games keep getting called off they might have to reconsider.

“The important thing is to get the season finished, but for everyone to stay safe while it happens.

“We are lucky that we are clear of the virus now apart from one of the younger players, but we’ve strengthened our protocols around the training area. We’re keeping everyone outdoors as much as we can and, if we are indoors, masks are compulsory. The players still eat at the training ground, but they are following strict social distancing rules.

“We had a positive test ahead of the Ipswich match, but the player concerned was blameless. We tested him because his agent tested positive and when he returned a positive test we got him out of the building straight away. We tested the other players and there was enough concern for me to ask for games to be postponed.

“We have testing kits at the training ground which give a result in 15 minutes which is very handy for us. We wouldn’t have played Ipswich anyway as they had several positive tests themselves.”

The EFL currently believe they have enough wriggle room in the current schedule to finish the season on May 8.

Five League One fixtures were postponed on Boxing Day while seven games won’t be played tonight including those involving the top 11 in the division, meaning half of the 24 third tier fixtures set to take place over the festive period have been postponed.

The EFL are understood to have written to all clubs in recent days asking them to redouble their efforts when it comes to Covid protocols, and have advised that further precautions should now be taken. These include limiting the time players and staff spend in indoor spaces such as gyms, canteens and changing rooms and to travel in individual cars rather than buses to away fixtures.