Player contract and loan deals look set to run out when season finishes whenever that may be - Preston advisor Peter Ridsdale

With no restart date for the suspended 2019/20 campaign, it will inevitably run well into the summer months or even beyond.

Some players are due out of contract on June 30, while loan agreements between clubs tend to be until the end of May to cover the possibility of making the play-offs.

Peter Ridsdale, advisor to Preston North End owner Trevor Hemmings, told the Lancashire Post: “I think a view will be taken that loans and contracts will extend to the end of the season, whatever date that is.

“There needs to be that flexibility there.

“Rather than a specific date, deals can be extended to that they run the full course of the season, however long that might take.”

North End haven’t got any loan players in their squad but they have a number loaned out to other clubs.

Some of those loans have been with non-league clubs and with the season having been cancelled from step three downwards, those deals are now over.

Those affected include Adam O’Reilly and Ethan Walker at Stalybridge Celtic, Jack Armer at Lancaster City, Tyrhys Dolan, Jack Baxter and Lincoln McFayden at Clitheroe, and Michael Crowe who was with Bamber Bridge.

There have been calls for a re-think on cancelling the season, with a number of non-league clubs having written in protest to the FA.

In terms of league clubs, PNE have players on loan in the EFL and League of Ireland.

Josh Earl is with play-off chasing Ipswich Town in League One, having been at Bolton in the first-half of the season.

In January, Josh Ginnelly went to Bristol Rovers until the end of the season.

However, shortly before the shutdown Ginnelly had been back at North End for treatment on a hip injury.

Connor Simpson is on a season’s loan at Accrington although has only played sporadically.

In the League of Ireland, Graham Burke is with Shamrock Rovers and Kevin O’Connor is at Waterford.

Ridsdale said: “Some of the lads who have been on loan in non-league are back because the season has ended for the clubs they are at.

“Then we have got lads like Josh Earl and Josh Ginnelly playing for league clubs.

“Those loans will be allowed to run until the end of the season which will be later than normal.

“No one knows yet when that will be. It was a sensible decision made on Friday by the Premier League and EFL not to try and put a return date on it at this stage.