Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber has claimed that the most important thing is that his Tykes squad are in good condition and ready to "start with high intensity" if and when the season resumes. 

All EFL fixtures have been suspended for more than a month due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it was announced earlier this month that will continue to be the case until further notice.

If, how and when the 2019/20 campaign will resume remains unclear but Barnsley will be facing an uphill battle should it return.

The Tykes are bottom of the Championship and seven points adrift of safety with only nine games left of the season.

EFL clubs have been informed that they cannot resume training until the 16th of May at the earliest but, speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Struber has revealed that his squad are still working hard.

He explained: "We stay in contact with my staff via WhatsApp, my phone and Skype conferences.

“I am in contact with my players and they all have a special plan right now – and the only thing we can do is work on basic endurance and resilience so they have a good conditioning when they go back, so we can start with high intensity.

The Austrian coach added: “The most important thing is that the boys have a good base when they come back.”

Barnsley face a difficult task if the season does resume but will be buoyed by the number of sides caught up in the Championship relegation battle – five sides are within three points of the relegation places, meaning there is still a huge amount to play for.

Can you identify these 16 Barnsley players by looking at these pixelated images? Have a go now!

 

 

The Verdict

Barnsley fans will surely love to hear this determination from Struber and his drive to ensure his squad are ready to hit the ground running.

You feel they will need to do exactly that if they are to close the seven-point gap between them and secure survival this term.

Given that he arrived in October, it seems likely that Struber would be kept on even if the Tykes are relegated.