Big decisions over the futures of key Blackpool players must be made imminently

Under EFL rules, clubs must notify players as to whether or not they are being retained by the third Saturday of May, which falls on May 20 this year.

However, the majority of clubs will publish their lists – often on their official websites – long before this date.

A number of sides have already released this information but given the current uncertainty behind the scenes at Bloomfield Road – where there’s no permanent head coach or sporting director– it remains to be seen when Blackpool’s retained list will be released and who will be deciding the players’ fate.

Ben Mansford is also on the move, although it’s understood the club’s chief executive is still assisting in the interim before he returns to his role at Maccabi Tel Aviv on June 1.

As for a sporting director, owner Simon Sadler recently revealed a replacement for Chris Badlan had been identified and would be unveiled when the club is able to do so.

Reports suggest Sheffield Wednesday’s head of recruitment David Downes has been lined up for the role.

Clubs that finish in the play-offs are inevitably given longer to submit their lists and have until four days after their last match to do so.

The EFL then publishes the list by the second Saturday in June, which falls on June 10 this year.

There promises to be a big turnover of players at Bloomfield Road this summer given 17 players see their contracts expire at the end of the campaign. Thirteen of these players, however, do have 12-month options on their deals.

Nevertheless, there’s still bound to be plenty of ins and outs as part of a major summer of change on and off the field.

Jordan Thorniley, Curtis Nelson and Keshi Anderson are three key players that are out of contact at the end of the season and have no options, so new deals must be negotiated if they’re to remain at Bloomfield Road.

Chris Maxwell, Callum Connolly, James Husband, CJ Hamilton, Shayne Lavery and Gary Madine also see their deals expire this summer, albeit with options to extend.