Charlton boss Lee Bowyer: It’s a guessing game when the domestic football season will be in a position to continue

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Charlton Athletic’s players are facing a reduced workload this week – with Lee Bowyer saying it is still a guessing game over when domestic football returns.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen the fixture calendar halted since early March.

And Addicks manager Bowyer has maintained his stance that he can’t see football resuming any time soon.

“Going on the guidelines we might be starting back on the 13th, when the lockdown is meant to finish,” he said. “But watching the telly last night, they are talking about months [before restrictions are lifted].

“They way they are talking it is three to six months. I just can’t see how the season is going to get going – I can’t see it.

“I might be wrong, but I’m just going on their advice.

“It wasn’t just one person, there was another expert on who said social distancing is going to go on for several months – if social distancing is going on for several months then you can’t play football.

“It’s all up in the air. The EFL is just sitting behind the guidelines from the NHS and that means we’re talking months and months of this.

“I don’t know when we’re going to be back, I really don’t know. I think everyone is just guessing.

“We’re coming off them this week because they’ve had two tough weeks. They are still going to be ticking over but not as intensely. We’ll revisit at the end of the week and see if the EFL say anything.

“We can’t just keep slogging them at home – it’s mind-boggling trying to do that when they are at home. We don’t know if we’ve got something to play for. Even if they said they would start in June then we can work around that in terms of a schedule.”