Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:14 pm
Garry Monk believes the league's restart date of June 20 leaves clubs with "inadequate" time to fully prepare for a return.
Thursday 4th June 2020
The EFL revealed earlier this week that the 2019/20 season will resume later this month, with each of the 24 sides having nine matches left to play.
Clubs resumed training on May 25, although they have only started contact training this week.
And former Swansea City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City boss Monk says the announcement from the EFL was "a huge surprise".
"I think everyone was taken aback," Monk said.
"We all thought in the back of our minds that going through the communication we had a couple of weeks ago in the managers' meeting that we had that we would need a minimum of three weeks contact training.
“That is what we asked for and we all knew that we were working at least a week behind the Premier League, and we all thought we would be starting a week behind the Premier League.
"Of course, the announcement was a huge surprise, but it is what it is and I'm not complaining about it.
"We want to get back and play games. It has been good to be back in. The players have come back in good condition and clearly followed their home programmes very well. The majority of them are in really good condition and we are looking forward to it.
"But in terms of preparation, it is inadequate for sure. If you follow the guidelines that you start on the (June) 25th like we have, it is inadequate and no manager can tell you any different but we will have to deal with it in the best way possible."
Monk's Sheffield Wednesday side are currently 15th in the table, eight points adrift of the play-off places.