Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth believes that his side’s experience in previous play-offs campaigns could be useful going into their semi-finals against Milton Keynes.

The two Buckinghamshire sides will play each other on May 5 and May 8 respectively, with the winners taking on Sheffield Wednesday or Sunderland in the League One play-offfinal at Wembley Stadium on May 21.

Currently, there are 10 players in the Chairboys squad that were part of the team which defeated Oxford United 2-1 at the home of English football, to secure a place in the Championship.

Those players were Adebayo Akinfenwa, Nick Freeman, Dom Gape, Jack Grimmer, Joe Jacobson, Jason McCarthy, Anthony Stewart, David Stockdale, Curtis Thompson, and David Wheeler.

READ MORE: Gareth Ainsworth praises Milton Keynes' play and reveals he 'can't wait' for the play-offs

Matt Bloomfield, who was part of the starting line-up that day, has since retired but is now part of the club’s coaching staff, whilst Ainsworth of course, was in charge on that famous day in July 2020.

The manager said: “I remember a couple of years ago against Oxford that the majority of my boys at the time had been in play-offs before, as well as being promoted.

“We made a big point in saying that before the game to see who had been in that situation, and that will count to quite a lot.”

The boss also spoke about how the preparation for this year’s play-offs is hugely different from the planning and groundwork from two years ago.

Back then, the Covid-19 pandemic had become prevalent across the globe and football in the country had been paused.

READ MORE: 'It’s a different competition' - Gareth Ainsworth on the play-offs, injuries and Wycombe's 'new era'

When the leagues resumed in the summer of that year, all the teams in League One decided to curtail the season based on a points-per-game system, which paired Wycombe with Fleetwood Town in that year’s play-offs.

The decision was revealed in June, with the matches taking place in July.

Speaking on the situation from two years ago, Ainsworth jokingly said: “We had four months to prepare for the last play-offs, this time we’ve got four days!

“It’s different from a couple of years ago, but I think it’s all about the balancing act of what messages you want to get out to the boys.

“You don’t want to give them too much information, but at the same time, we want them ready and prepared for the play-offs, getting them ready for the physical side and the mental side.

READ MORE: 'The boys are confident' - Gareth Ainsworth wants Wycombe to 'express themselves' against MK

“It’s all a balancing going into Thursday night and believe me, I will do all I can as a manager that my boys are ready for this and I want them to go out there and perform as the team that they are.

“You can be who you want to be at Wycombe Wanderers and that’s really important.”

To purchase your tickets for tomorrow’s match, go to www.wwfc.com/news/2022/april/30/tickets-mk-dons-h-05-05.