The key dates and a potential issue for Middlesbrough ahead of new Championship campaign

Boro will return to competitive action on the weekend starting September 12, meaning there is just over five weeks to prepare.

The squad is expected to return to training on the week starting Monday, August 17 following the delayed finish to last season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Games will continue to be played behind closed doors next month while Boro are also planning to play some warm-up matches both in the North East and further afield.

Preparations may be complicated slightly as there is an international break scheduled the weekend before the season restarts on Saturday, September 5.

That will only affect a handful of Boro players, though, and Warnock says a couple of friendly matches are already penciled in.

“We’re down the line on that now,” said Warnock when asked about Boro’s pre-season plans.

“All the games will be behind closed doors, which is disappointing but at least the fans can hopefully see the games we are involved in.

“Kevin (Blackwell), Ronnie (Jepson) and myself are looking at what we can do and what we can’t do up in the North East here and going away for a few days as well.

“We’ve got a lot done up to the first week in September. The international break is the 5th and we have a game on the 2nd - something like that - behind closed doors.

Northern Ireland internationals Paddy McNair and George Saville are likely to be selected for their country’s Nations League matches at the start of September, yet Warnock is still hopeful Boro can arrange another game.

“We’ve nothing for the 5th but we’ll try and get a game for that international weekend even though I know players will be away,” Warnock added.

“But we’ve more or less sorted what we want, we’re just verifying it, that’s all.

“Hopefully I can get the right players in and we can set off on the 17th when we come back integrating those lads and then hopefully by the end of the month I’ll know, more or less, what my team planning will be.”

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