Almost one third of a year will have passed between Pompey’s last match and the first leg of their play-off clash with Oxford.
A 2-2 home draw with Fleetwood in the middle of March ultimately ensured that they would finish inside the top six once the final standings were calculated on a points per game method.
The Blues have now been back in full training for a few weeks in preparation for Friday evening’s contest.
And after the long lockdown period, Tom Naylor is delighted to have something to look forward to again.
Pompey’s skipper said: “It was a weight off our shoulders when we heard how the season would end because now we know what the actual plan is.
“Before then we were all training individually and were left wondering exactly what was going to happen.
“Were they going to void the season or would be playing the remaining nine games? It was a long wait.
"It was a weight off our shoulders when we heard how the season would end because now we know what the actual plan is."
“So everyone was buzzing when the news was confirmed because we were raring to get started again.
“Working from home by yourself is difficult and even when we were able to get back to the training ground, initially there was no contact allowed.
“It was just working on things like passing drills and you missed the regular stuff that we would normally do as a group.
“The rules changed to mean we’re almost back to the usual routing now, though, and it’s good that the recent tests have come back all clear.”
Pompey will have to get used to being without their 12th man for the play-off games, with football currently taking place behind closed doors.
Naylor said: “The fans play a massive role for us – home and away – and it’s going to be strange not having them driving us on.
“It’s a big loss and you can’t deny that, but that’s just the way it’s got to be at the moment and you have to deal with it."