Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley insists he is happy with whatever proposal is put forward to get the League One and Two seasons completed.
Clubs in the two divisions asked the Scottish FA yesterday to consider changing the season to 22 games, which would involve a league split once they had all played 18 fixtures.
The campaign was already shortened to 27 games but the shutdown of more than two months means time has run out on being able to play that to a conclusion.
Hartley, whose Cove side sit second in League One with 11 games played, had no doubts the season would finish and will handle whatever format is laid out.
He said: “It’s not set in stone. We need to wait and see, that’s all we can do. I’m delighted we’ve got the players back training and whatever happens, happens.
“It’s not going to get played at 27 games, that’s just a no-no. If it’s 22 we play it, if it’s 18 we play it. Whatever we need to do, whatever they come up with, we’ll do it. It’s not about what I want.
“I always thought the season would finish. However long it took, whatever it looked like, we had to finish. We couldn’t have a second season where it didn’t finish. That just didn’t make sense.
“For us it’s just to get on with it as best we can.”
Clubs are hoping to return on March 20, which would mean a quick turnaround to get players ready after two months off.
There is also a requirement for players in the lower divisions to be tested now, with Cove recording a clean bill of health from their testing on Wednesday ahead of a return to training yesterday.
Hartley said: “It’s going to be a normal thing now, every week. We did it on Wednesday night – everyone is fine. We’re all good to go.
“The last lockdown, they came back in brilliant condition. I would expect the same again. Obviously we played games before the last lockdown, so they’ll have done their work.
“We’ll try get as many sessions in as we can. We’ll get them as ready as we can but we’ve got to be mindful that we’re not overworking them. There could be injuries along the way. We’ve got to find the right balance for them.”
📝 Statement from SPFL Leagues 1 & 2https://t.co/7a6fZYbzR7
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) March 4, 2021
“We didn’t know the lay-off was going to be this long, which is the frustrating thing for myself, but at least we’ve got good news. The lads are excited and can’t wait to get started. Let’s hope we can get back in the next couple of weeks with whatever the setup looks like.”
Earlier in the week it was also announced the Scottish Cup would come back, starting with the remaining second round ties on March 23.
Cove will head to Ibrox to face Premiership leaders Rangers on April 3, with the game being screened on Premier Sports.
Hartley said: “It’s a game the players can look forward to. We’ll not have many games before that but that’s the way it is. At least we can play it. It’s a game the players can enjoy. I’m just disappointed the fans won’t be there.”