Caley Thistle will welcome their players back for the start of pre-season training on Wednesday after nearly six months in shutdown.
Inverness’ players, with the exception of new arrivals, and the majority of staff have been on furlough since last season’s Championship campaign was called to a halt due to coronavirus on March 13.
John Robertson will now begin preparations for Caley Jags’ first competitive match away to Hearts in the Betfred Cup on October 6, with the Championship season starting away to Dunfermline 11 days later.
Inverness have provisionally arranged two friendlies against League Two club Elgin City, and are due to travel to Borough Briggs on Saturday September 26 before hosting the Black and Whites on Thursday October 1.
Caley Thistle chief executive Scot Gardiner says the Highlanders are putting the final arrangements in place for the return to training next week.
He said: “The boys will be back in from Wednesday for their medicals.
“They will start training thereafter, once we have gone through all the return to training protocols.
“Our first week of training is non-contact.
“We will just work our way through, and see who we can play, whether there will be testing or non-testing pre-season games.
“That can change by the day, depending on the guidelines changing.
“We are just methodically working through it.”
Inverness’ players and staff will not have to undertake Covid-19 testing prior to training, with lower-league clubs exempt from the twice-weekly testing requirements for Premiership sides.
Gardiner is wary the guidelines could change, however, adding: “We may or may not require testing, so that’s in limbo at the moment.
“We don’t require testing just now, where before we would have done two weeks ago.
“If we don’t have to spend £6,000 a week on testing we won’t – if we are told it’s safe.
“We don’t need to test at the moment, but we may by the time we get to then – will it be two tests, one test or no tests?
“The Championship compared to the Premiership looks like it’s going to be different, which is quite unusual.”
Gardiner is communicating with other second-tier clubs about the measures they are putting in place, adding: “We are speaking to other clubs, but for the Championship it looks like it might be slightly different.
“Even looking at transport, we will need to work out whether we need one or two buses, or if everyone will need to go in cars.
“The guidelines have wavered and moved, and they’re different for Championship, League One and League Two clubs from how they are for the Premiership.
“We are working more on Scottish Government guidelines than anything else.”
