Gareth Ainsworth is disappointed with the Blues heavy fixture schedule ahead of what he says will be a ‘mental’ December.

An extended run in the FA Cup and postponed matches against Bristol Rovers and Notts County being rescheduled have conspired to ensure Wycombe play 10 times in the next six weeks.

It is traditionally a busy period for any football club and Ainsworth is concerned about the effect the added games could have as well as the possibility of further cancellations due to bad weather.

“December is going to be mental and believe me we have already looked at the fixtures. It will be busy with the Bristol Rovers game being on the first, we are in the FA Cup second round which is brilliant, and the Notts County game has to be fit in as well,” he said.

“With the potential for FA Cup replays and the weather maybe forcing cancellations you have to get these games in quickly and it could difficult for us.”

Wanderers’ schedule has been disrupted twice this season already, with both the Bristol Rovers and Notts County match being called off due to international call-ups for each side.

These games will now be played on Tuesday, 1 December and Tuesday, 15 December respectively with the County fixture subject to change should the Chairboys draw in the FA Cup at Millwall.

It is highly unusual for matches in League Two to be called off due to international call-ups and Wanderers have been desperately unfortunate to be affected twice in a row.

Ainsworth has accepted the decision to call off both games and claimed he would hope to get the same courtesy if it was his team that were being weakened by international matches.

However, the fact that both postponements have been to aid opponents rather than his side has seen him become increasingly frustrated by the enforced breaks.

“I don’t want to get myself in trouble with the league but I think that it is tough for one of the smallest clubs in the division to keep having Saturday games called off,” he explained.

“I might be saying the opposite if it was my players being called up but I think it needs to be looked at in more detail by the league. With the size of our squad Tuesday night fixtures kill us.

“We have had two forced upon us now for no reason and it is going to be hard, but it is never going to be easy at Wycombe Wanderers and I have a group of players who are right up for the challenge.”

The size of his squad has been a constant bugbear for Ainsworth but he is currently able to call upon as near a full strength side as he has had for most of the season.

The players will undoubtedly be tested to the limits over the coming month and a half and every member of the squad is likely to get extended minutes on the pitch.

Ainsworth is therefore delighted to have tied Jason McCarthy to a new loan until January and to have Anthony Stewart return to action against Leeds United on Friday night after three months out.

He said: “To secure Jason until January and to have Anthony back before the Christmas period is obviously good for us.

"It is vital for every player to be fit for Christmas and we will be using every player over that period I am sure.”

Wycombe’s testing schedule starts on Saturday with an away trip to Wimbledon before they play Yeovil Town and Portsmouth in the space of four days the following week.