Freddie Ljungberg would be forced to give up his role as Arsenal's interim manager after 12 weeks if he didn't have a UEFA Pro Licence.
The Swede has replaced Unai Emery, whose Emirates Stadium reign hit a new low on Thursday night when the Gunners lost 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.
Amid fan protests and mounting calls for him to go, Emery was sacked before Sunday's trip to Norwich City.
Assistant boss Ljungberg takes over temporarily, potentially in partnership with club legend and Arsene Wenger's former first-team coach Steve Bould.
But given that it has been suggested he lacks a UEFA Pro Licence, Ljungberg - who does hold a UEFA A Licence - could only manage in the Premier League and European competitions until the end of February before being forced to give up his role.
Ljungberg has done his coaching courses at the Football Association of Wales's (FAW) highly respected programme, which has also been attended by the likes of Thierry Henry and Mikel Arteta, who is a candidate for the permanent Arsenal role.
Providing he hasn't been fastracked onto the Pro Licence elsewhere - and it takes a year to complete - the Gunners could have to seek some form of special dispensation if he impresses while in interim charge.
The FAW opened the application process for the next Pro Licence course this week, and so if Ljungberg has registered then the Premier League are highly likely to allow him to prolong his spell in charge of the Gunners.
Ljungberg moved up from his role at the Arsenal academy in the summer to become Emery's assistant, replacing Bould who moved down to oversee the academy.
The club's former midfielder has often been credited for his communication skills with the players amid the mounting confusion in Emery's reign, and will be seen as a popular appointment with many in the squad.
