Major League Soccer is returning soon, but just not as soon as initially expected.

League commissioner Don Garber announced on Wednesday that the 2021 season that had been set to begin on Apr. 3 will be pushed back two weeks to Apr. 17 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The dates for the opening of training camps have yet to be announced.

Garber was not able to issue much clarity as to the status of home games for the league’s three Canadian clubs – Toronto FC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps. With stay-at-home and emergency orders still in place for Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, Garber acknowledged that the league will adhere to local regulations that could force the trio of teams to head south of the border.

"We're going to abide by whatever the rules are established by Canada," Garber said. "All three of our teams are working on alternative plans...I feel for our Canadian clubs and our players."

All three teams played all of their post-Orlando MLS Is Back Tournament home dates against American opposition in the US last year. The Whitecaps called Providence Park, the grounds of the Portland Timbers, home, while the Reds played out of Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. The then-Impact played out of Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.

The 2021 MLS season will feature the debut of expansion side Austin FC, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 27.

Last week, the league and the MLSPA ratified a CBA that runs through the 2024 season.