NEWPORT County AFC's season looks likely to be called off in the coming days as League Two chiefs thrash out how to sort out promotion spots.

The Exiles haven't played since losing at Carlisle on March 10 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

They have 10 games left but hopes of repeating last year's qualification for the play-offs looked slim. County, who have placed manager Michael Flynn and his squad on furlough, are 12 points behind the last spot.

While the Premier League are looking to step up preparations for a return to action, that is considered impossible in the lower leagues.

The English Football League are ready to finish 2019/20 for the two divisions below the Championship, who are also determined to compete their schedule, and are now finalising how to end matters.

They are still working out a solution to settle promotion and relegation spots with the likeliest option being points per game.

In League Two that would see Swindon, who have a game in hand, leapfrog Crewe to become champions with Plymouth joining them in going up automatically.

The four playoff spots would be unchanged, making semi-finals and a final a possibility. If they cannot be played then Cheltenham would have the best points per game figure.

South Wales Argus:

League Two clubs rely heavily on gate receipts so there is little desire to make a swift return for games behind closed doors.

That would mean leaving the UK government job retention scheme and also expense for testing and establishing safe new training protocols.

EFL chairman Rick Parry said that decisions needed to be taken "within days" and Salford City co-owner Gary Neville said that he believed it would be ending the campaign.

"I think it's extremely unlikely that League One and League Two will play football," said the former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit.

"We know the Bundesliga and the measures that they're putting in place to allow football to happen – it's going to cost a lot of money. The same with the Premier League, we're talking millions of pounds to invest in what would be health and safety protocol, neutral venues, all the logistics – hotel costs to keep players in as safe an environment as possible.

"It will be a huge cost to the Bundesliga and the Premier League, and League One and League Two can't fund that – the clubs won't fund that.

"You obviously have added complexities that 50 per cent of the players in League One and League Two are out of contract in two months and ultimately clubs don't want to pay them beyond those contracts, so there'll be no extensions available.

"There is just a lack of willingness I think, at League One and League Two level, to take the risk and go through all the economic risks.

"There's no fans in stadiums, you'd have to play players appearance money and bonuses – the clubs haven't got the money.

"The only way in which football could happen in League One and League Two is if our friends in the Premier League were able to fund safe football, but I'm not quite sure at this moment in time that they've got their own ship in order, so they're not going to look after League One and League Two."