Odion Ighalo will be allowed a delayed start to the next Premier League season after league authorities confirmed that teams involved in the latter stages of European inter-club competitions will be afforded extra rest time before resuming for the 2020-21 season.
The Premier League has already fixed 12 September for the start of the 2020-21 season but details of fixtures for the new season will not be decided until later this month.
But with several Premier League teams still involved in European club competitions, it has been decided in principle that all clubs should be given a minimum equal amount of time off.
Ighalo’s Manchester United are in the Europa League as are Wolves while Manchester City and Chelsea are in the Champions League.
Clubs have agreed on a minimum 30-day break period, which would mean any club involved in the ‘Final Eight’ stages of the Champions League or Europa League will not start their campaigns on 12 September when the new Premier League will begin.
Ighalo is expected to start for Manchester United in their last-16 Europa League second-leg tie against LASK Link on Wednesday with the Red Devils leading the Austrian side LASK 5-0 from the first leg.
Should the Nigeria striker reach the Europa League final in Cologne on 21 August with United, they will miss the first two weekends of the new campaign.
The same is also true for Wolves who host Greek side Olympiakos on Thursday with the game tied 1-1 on aggregate.
Manchester City take a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid into their Champions League last-16 second leg tie at Etihad Stadium on Friday. Should they reach the final in Lisbon on 23 August, they will also miss the first two weekends of the new season.
