Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has called on the EFL to consider extending the League One season after a coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc with the festive fixtures.
Posh are among seven clubs, including the Black Cats, to have had fixtures postponed as a result of an outbreak.
Sunderland will have to play 30 games - potentially more if they progress in the EFL Trophy, in 128 days.
Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph, Ferguson said: "We are looking at playing 14-15 games in 42 days.
“That will be the same for a lot of clubs. We have four so far to rearrange, but Covid cases are piling up so it’s tough to get everything sorted.
“It’s not just us. Most of the other League One clubs are in the same boat. There are so many games to rearrange it’s quite complicated.
“The EFL would be wise to consider an extension to the League One season, I don’t think they will, but if games keep getting called off they might have to reconsider.
“The important thing is to get the season finished, but for everyone to stay safe while it happens."
The EFL are coming under increased pressure to either enforce a circuit break or extend the EFL season.
Rochdale’s club doctor, Wes Tensel, said it is ‘not the wisest thing’ for football to continue at the moment.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: "In the middle of a pandemic and the spread and all that's going on - the numbers are rising - and the fact that we've got these tier four places where people can't travel but footballers can go in and out and take things back to their family, I think it's probably not the wisest thing at the moment.
"The players are human like everyone else.
"There's lots of other careers and jobs where people are unable to work, people in the arts, people being furloughed. So why should football go on when they can't and the disease is still spreading at the rate it's spreading?"
