Carlisle United will start their 2022/23 League Two season in July - provided the Blues complete their survival job.

The EFL campaign will get under way slightly earlier than normal in a calendar which also sees the winter World Cup taking place in Qatar.

While United, should they seal their League Two safety, won't have a mid-season break like the Championship, they will still start the new campaign at the same stage, on the weekend of July 30, 2022.

That is a week earlier than the normal big kick-off date of August's first weekend.

The key dates for 2022/23 have been published by the EFL with less than a month remaining of the current campaign.

United, who are ten points above the relegation zone with five games to play, hope to secure their league status soon.

If they do, they can look ahead to Thursday, June 23 as the date when the new fixture calendar is revealed.

The EFL have confirmed that Carabao Cup first round ties will be played in the week starting August 10.

The Papa John's Trophy round one group games, meanwhile, will get under way in the week starting August 31, with further games in the weeks starting September 21 and October 19.

The final weekend of the League Two season falls on May 6, with the division's play-off final scheduled for Saturday, May 27.

While Leagues One and Two will continue during the World Cup, the Championship will, like the Premier League, see a mid-season pause.

The second tier will come to a halt on November 12 and resume on December 10.

The full dates are available on the EFL website.

The World Cup runs from November 21-December 18.

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