OXFORD United are planning to start pre-season training sessions for some players in less than a fortnight.

The English Football League is yet to confirm when the 2020/21 campaign will officially begin.

August 29 and September 12 have been put forward as possible dates to kick off.

United want to fit in a training camp in Spain next month and are planning for the September slot to be the opening day for Sky Bet League One, but there is the possibility the Carabao Cup and Leasing.com Trophy could start before then.

Either way it is a tight turnaround for Karl Robinson’s men, whose campaign only ended in the play-off final on July 13.

Those involved have been given a month off to recharge, but sessions for anyone else will begin a week earlier.

Robinson, United’s head coach, said: “Anybody who was involved in the play-off squad will be back on August 10, but if we sign someone from a club that hasn’t played since March we’ll get them in a week earlier to do the baseline stuff.

“They are the two start dates we’re looking at.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted plans, United had booked into a Spanish training facility to start pre-season.

While the extension of their campaign meant it did not happen, the trip remains in the schedule – although Robinson admitted it did depend on local conditions being suitable.

He said: “We were always going to go to the south of Spain this year and we’ve still got that pencilled in.

“There won’t be any games because of the way it will work.

“There’s been a mini outbreak in Malaga, so we’ve got back on the phone to the travel company.

“We’ll see, it’s booked and ready to go.”

United have also done detailed planning on how to get crowds back safely into the Kassam Stadium.

Last week the government announced their intention to bring back such mass gatherings from October 1.

Niall McWilliams, the U’s managing director, said: “We believe if we can get the conditions right we’ll be able to at least get season ticket holders into the ground (from October 1).

“Of course you never know about factors like second spikes if they arise, but we are certainly planning for a start (to the league season) on September 12.

“I was hoping to get crowds in for then, but I’m hearing Public Health England are rightly looking for clubs to run matches and prove they can handle situation around the pandemic and reduce the risks to people before crowds come in on October 1.

“We will be ready when we get the official go-ahead.”