Ipswich Town's general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill has revealed that extending the loan deal of Preston North End's Josh Earl was not a viable option given the current circumstances.
Uncertainty remains over the fate of the season in England, which has increased following the decisions to finish the leagues in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Academy level football has already been suspended in England and amidst all the uncertainty, the League One side have decided that it is in the best interest of the club and the player that they cut short the stint of the defender, who joined them on loan in January until the end of the season.
O'Neill also took time to thank Earl for his contribution towards the team and wished him best for the future.
“We all agreed that it was the sensible thing to do given the circumstances”, O’Neill told his club's official site.
“We could have extended Josh’s loan but there is so much uncertainty going on at the moment around when games might be played again that it wasn’t really a viable option."
“We’d like to thank Josh for his contribution to the team and to the Club in his time with us and wish him all the best for the future.”
The youngster spent the first half of the season on loan at fellow League One side Bolton Wanderers and has a combined total of 16 appearances in the league this season.
It remains to be seen if the League One season will be able to be played to a finish.
