Efficient discard mechanism in small cell deployment

A method of wireless communication includes communicating with a base station using a special subframe that extends a guard period over an uplink pilot time slot and one or more disabled, adjacent uplink subframes. The method also includes associating a control information subframe with a specific downlink subframe while accounting for both cell radius extension and loss of the one or more disabled, adjacent uplink subframes used to communicate the extended special subframe.