Spying charges against Southampton may not be heard until Tuesday, placing a question mark over the scheduling of next week’s Championship play-off final.
The club were charged last week by the EFL with spying on a training session held by semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, with the league asking for an independent commission to examine the case “at the earliest opportunity”.
The EFL issued a statement on Thursday afternoon to say the hearing would take place “on or before Tuesday, May 19”.
Given the high stakes involved, an appeal from one or more parties in the case seems almost certain, putting a question mark over whether the appeal could be heard before the date scheduled for the final, May 23, if the initial hearing does not happen until Tuesday.
However, the EFL said it “continues to plan on the basis that the Championship play-off final will take place as scheduled”.
The EFL said the match was scheduled to kick off at 4.30pm BST.
The Saints had booked their place in the season finale at Wembley Stadium after a dramatic 2-1 win over Middlesbrough in the semi-finals.
All three goals on aggregate were scored in the second leg at St Mary’s after a dire opening fixture at the Riverside Stadium.
Tonda Eckert’s men will face Hull City in the capital, after Sergej Jakirovic’s side defeated Millwall, who finished third in the Championship table, in a stunning 2-0 win at The Den.
