Birmingham City will switch their focus back to the Championship after they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Premier League West Ham.

Garry Monk's side played very well once again and the game was only put to bed in stoppage time for the hosts.

Now, attention will turn to the league but Blues could be set for a major blow on that front.

The Telegraph report that the West Midlands outfit could be hit with a 12-point deduction as a punishment for breaking FFP rules.

This has been hanging over Blues all season and the report reveals that a decision will be made next month.

However, it makes for grim reading if you are a Birmingham fan, with the latest finances showing they lost £37.5million in the 12 months to the end of June 2018.

As well as that, their wage bill jumped from £22m to £38m in the same period, whilst they also owe over £70m to their parent company.

EFL rules state that clubs can lose £39m over a three-year period, so Blues are clearly in breach of that.

With Monk's men just four points outside the top six after a fine season, any points deduction will have a significant impact.

The Verdict

This is awful news for Blues and they will be fearing the worst for next month when their punishment will be decided.

From a football perspective, it would be a shame as Monk has done a brilliant job and Blues look capable of reaching the top six, so to have that taken away for financial reasons will be tough for them to take.

Ultimately though, the club knew the rules and are clearly in breach of them.

Thoughts, Birmingham fans? Let us know in the comments below.