League Cup “optional” next season...

[The Tin Man 80]

Clubs have been given the chance to opt out of next season's League Cup, SPFL secretary Iain Blair has confirmed.

Those in the Premiership and Championship have said they will participate, while League One and Two clubs have been asked if they wish to do so.

The group stage, normally played in July, is set to start during the international break in early October.

"We recognise that this is not a normal year," Blair told BBC Scotland.

"I think all of League One and Two will participate, I really do. They definitely want to start the league process in October, as part of that process we're also asking them about their participation in the Betfred Cup."

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Blair says the exact format of the group stage will be dictated by the number of teams participating but he expects the competition to operate as normal, and confirmed there had been discussions about clubs who choose not to take part being compensated.

"What we did not want to do was to force clubs to play football when it wasn't beneficial for them to do so," he added.

"We just wanted to say to them look if you don't take part, it doesn't mean you're going to get no money from it, there are ways in which we can deal with that and it just helps them make a more balanced decision without a gun to their head to an extent."

The SPFL warned of an "enormous" strain on fixtures for next season with postponed European and international fixtures to be accommodated in the normal calendar, as well as the semi-final and final of last season's Scottish Cup and the group stage of the League Cup.

Blair himself warned on Friday that clubs face the prospect of playing four games in eight days, but added they are planning to avoid this where possible.

To try to ease fixture congestion, the SPFL has held discussions with the Scottish FA, who administer the Scottish Cup, about scrapping replays.

"For 2020/21 we think there's an incredibly strong argument there should be no replays once the Premiership teams come in in round four," Blair said.

The fate of next season's Challenge Cup has yet to be decided, with the SPFL currently in discussions with clubs.

They are also speaking with Inverness and Raith Rovers about rescheduling last season's final.