Hearts face an anxious wait to find out if SPFL bosses will choose to complete or terminate the league season after Uefa issued a deadline to its member associations.
League chiefs must signal their intention to either finish the 2019/20 football season or end it prematurely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by May 25 - potentially consigning the Tynecastle side to the second tier.
Scottish sides have already voted to cease the campaign below the top flight, crowning Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers champions of their respective divisions.
The controversial vote does not automatically end the Premiership, but does provide league bosses with a mandate to do so should it become apparent fixtures cannot be fulfilled in a reasonable time period.
Scottish football chiefs now have less than a month to make their decision among wrangling over league reconstruction.
Should they decide the division cannot be completed, the Gorgie outfit face the same fate as Partick Thistle and Stranraer in being relegated from their league.
The UEFA guidelines read: "National associations and/or leagues should be in a position to communicate to UEFA by 25 May 2020 the planned restart of their domestic competitions including the date of restart and the relevant competition format.
"In the event that a domestic competition is to be prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons...UEFA would require the National Association to explain by 25 May 2020 the special circumstances justifying such premature termination and to select clubs for the UEFA club competitions 2020/21 on the basis of sporting merit in the 2019/20 domestic competitions."
UEFA last week stated that domestic leagues could be terminated in special cases if they were unable to resume because of Government orders.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already stated it is unlikely that matches will be played behind closed doors, citing fears over groups of fans congregating to watch games.
The SPFL will host an emergency general meeting on May 12 following calls for an independent investigation into the controversial vote.
Hearts will discover their fate either on or before May 25, less than a fortnight later, but may yet be saved by league reconstruction.
