Matt Maher: There will be tired legs amid the changing face of football

Premier League clubs will meet today to discuss scheduling for the 2020/21 campaign, with September 12 considered the most likely start date.

But August 29 is also favoured by some clubs and that will catch the eye of Wolves supporters in particular, as it is just eight days after they will hope to see their team playing in this season’s Europa League final.

For Nuno Espirito Santo and his team, who played their first competitive match on July 25 last year, the campaign which seemingly never ends could be set to go on for a lot, lot longer.

Even if the later September date is chosen, it appears unlikely Wolves – or indeed any other club still involved in European competition – can expect much of a break. A round of international fixtures is scheduled for the weekend of September 5-6 and several of the Wolves squad will be involved.

Having gone more than three months without a game of football to watch (but during which players were still sticking to personal fitness programmes) the sport is now set to run pretty much right through to the conclusion of next year’s European Championships, by which time there will be some pretty tired legs.

The delayed start to next season means the schedule will be pretty hectic too. It should come as no surprise to discover that when considering where space can be made in the calendar, the Premier League has its sights focused on the domestic cup competitions.

Already there are suggestions those teams who qualify for European football next term will be allowed to sit out the League Cup, while there have also been calls from the top flight for replays to be scrapped in the FA Cup’s third and fourth rounds.

This column has warned for some time about the danger posed to domestic cup competitions by increasing fixture congestion. The pandemic has, of course, intensified the latter but while it is obvious some compromises will need to be made, the concern is of long-term precedents being set. The FA in particular are going to need to fight their corner.

Long-term changes to the sport appear inevitable and in terms of how clubs and leagues manage and regulate their finances, necessary. Others will only cause annoyance. After reports the five-substitute rule is set to stay for another season, who would really be surprised if the drinks break – another spot which could be sold to advertisers – didn’t too?