SOLUTIONS to the “tough times” which lie ahead for football need to be found quickly, says John Mousinho.

Oxford United’s skipper has a good idea of the landscape, having been appointed to a six-man working party by players’ union the PFA.

The industry has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic which has first forced a three-month suspension to the campaign.

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But of more concern is what happens next, with cash-strapped clubs unsure of how long they will have to survive before crowds can be allowed back into grounds.

About 1,400 players in the EFL have contracts which expire at the end of the month and Mousinho admits their prospects look troubling.

“I’m very concerned and it’s imminent,” he said.

“We’ve seen with a lot of clubs already they are releasing all the out of contract players.

“They would have probably kept a lot of them (in normal circumstances).

“They’re not going to sign any new players until they know when next season’s starting.

“Some are saying they won’t until they know when they’re going to get crowds back in grounds.”

Mousinho believes it could take years for the sport to recover, but in the meantime answers are needed urgently.

He said: “There are some tough times to come and I think the industry is going to be affected, certainly in the short term.

“Hopefully it rebounds in the next two or three years, but there are still plenty of worries that we have.

“How we address them I’m not entirely sure yet, but we’re going to have to do it pretty quickly.”