Derby County could have to wait months to find out what punishment they will receive from the EFL after they were found guilty of accounting irregularities.

As has been well-documented, the Rams are in dispute with the authorities due to financial issues that have hung over the club for some time now.

The initial process against the East Midlands outfit started 18 months ago, with the EFL winning their appeal over Derby's breach of Financial Fair Play rules earlier this month.

Now, it has been sent to an independent disciplinary commission to determine the punishment the club will face, with Sky Sports revealing that they won't consider the matter for another fortnight at the earliest.

Then, they state that Derby are likely to appeal the outcome, meaning a final decision may not be heard for a matter of months.

If that was the case, it's conceivable that Wayne Rooney's side could start the season without knowing just how much they will be impacted.

The importance of a points deduction was highlighted in the current campaign, as Sheffield Wednesday were relegated because of the six points they lost off the pitch.

The verdict

This is not really surprising, but it's not the news that Derby County fans would've wanted to hear, because they will be desperate for the situation to be resolved one way or another.

The uncertainty helps nobody at the club, and you can't imagine it's going to do Rooney any favours when it comes to attracting players this summer.

But, it's out of the club's hands now, so it's a case of waiting and seeing what happens and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.