Premier League clubs still competing in Europe will start late next season

English Premier League clubs that are involved in the later stages of ongoing European tournaments will be provided with a delayed start to their 2020-21 season. As of now, there aren't any concrete details available regarding the calendar for next season.

It is expected that the full schedule will be finalised later this month. However, before that, the Premier League administrators have decided to give all clubs a minimum amount of time off before the next season kicks off.

The previous season was disrupted mid-way due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. As a result, there isn't much gap between the two seasons. Because of that, it has been decided that teams who are still competing in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League will be granted some additional time-off.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard had recently expressed his concern about his side's congested schedule ahead of the start of the next Premier League season. Not only the Blues, but other sides from the Premier League also face such an issue of having to play back-to-back games. The latest development would certainly provide some relief to the players.

Alongside Chelsea, Manchester City is also playing in the Champions League. Guardiola's men await their second leg encounter in the round-of-16 against Real Madrid. On the other hand, Chelsea will face Bayern Munich in the same phase. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Wolves are playing in the Europa League.

Teams that will qualify for the last-eight stages of these tournaments will be given at least a 30-day rest period. This means all the clubs competing in those rounds across the two European competitions will not start their 2020-21 campaigns on September 12, the date when the new Premier League season is scheduled to begin.

As of now, Manchester City has a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid before heading on to their last-16 second leg tie at Etihad Stadium, due on Friday. If Pep Guardiola's men make it through all the way to the finals scheduled for August 23, they would miss the first two weekends of the Premier League.

The same rule applies to Manchester United and Wolves. The final of the Europa League is due on August 21 in Cologne. If either of these teams reach the final, they will start their next season after the first two weeks of play.

According to BBC, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said, "Hopefully we will get some help if we go through to the end. I'll look after the players, we'll give the players time off to recharge, maybe a couple of weeks."

But a decision is yet to be made about a delayed start for teams that will eventually get knocked out in last-16 ties. Chelsea, who are trailing 0-3 against Bayern Munich, might be one of those teams to get eliminated. The Blues must win by at least four goals to secure their next round qualification.