Bolton Wanderers have reportedly not renewed the loan deals of a number of players, with the 2019/20 campaign originally meant to end over the weekend.
Toto Nsiala, Brandon Fleming, Ethan Hamilton, Anthony Georgiou and Kean Bryan are set to be the players to depart according to The Bolton News.
All of the players had been due to stay with the club on loan until the end of this year's campaign. However, due to recent off-the-field events, the season has been brought to an abrupt halt for the time being.
No scheduled return date has been put in place as of yet, as the off-the-field uncertainty continues across the country, with lockdown restrictions still in place.
Bolton are reportedly keen to have clarity on how the season will conclude before making a final decision on whether to keep the loanees at the club for the remaining nine fixtures.
Ethan Hamilton has been the loanee to feature more than others, with the midfielder making 12 appearances for the Trotters whilst on loan from Manchester United.
But he has been unable to help the club turn around their fortunes on the pitch, with Bolton currently sat bottom of the League One table, and 21 points adrift of safety heading towards the conclusion of this year's campaign.
Trotters boss Keith Hill and the club's supporters could be forgiven for looking towards next season already, which looks as though it'll be in the fourth tier of English football.
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The Verdict:
It's a hugely frustrating and difficult time for football clubs across the country.
You can understand Bolton's decision not to extend their loan deals at the club, with the off-the-field uncertainty causing issues at this moment in time.
If they aren't going to play games and earn their wages, then it makes no sense to keep them at the club for the next few months.
It seems almost certain that they're going to be relegated this season if this year's campaign concludes, so they need to start planning life in League Two, with a number of players out-of-contract in the summer.