Carlisle United's academy manager is hoping to return to training as early as next month.

Eric Kinder confirmed that he hoped to return to training with the academy as early as August 3.

He has been in discussions with the EFL on a weekly basis and another meeting is scheduled for this week.

Kinder said: “We’re hoping it’ll be August 3 for having the players back in for training.

“We’ll be able to do full contact training, but the only issue as we sit here now is testing.

“If we’re still in a position like the Premier League and the play-off teams have been - where everyone needs tested twice a week - then it won’t happen, because of the cost.”

He’s hoping that in another month they’ll be at a point where everyone needs their temperature checked before entering the building.

Kinder continued: “We’ll have to wait and see, but there are updates every week as things change.

“We’re in the middle of summer now and, by this point, we usually would have finished the league season, had six weeks off and been in the second week of pre-season training.

“As it is, we’re still four weeks away from a potential return date.

“I think everybody has had enough of all of this now, but we’ve got to be careful and make sure it’s safe for everyone when we do get back.”