Unless you've been living in a cave or under a rock for the past couple of days, you're probably going to be aware of what happened ten minutes into Sunday's Second City derby between Birmingham and Aston Villa at St Andrew's.

The attack on Jack Grealish left the football world shocked, and highlighted the urgency with which something must be done to ensure the safety of everybody on every football pitch. But for Birmingham City themselves, it leaves a dark cloud that Garry Monk's side could have well and truly have done without.

On the field, Monk's side have defied all doubters this season and are still an outside bet for the playoffs, a far cry from the final day battles to stay in the Championship in each of the two previous campaigns.

Yet while performances on the pitch have more than earned the Midlands club their stay in the second tier of English football for next season at least, the issues off of it mean that there may well be a voice in the back of the minds of many around the club telling them they may have to earn that safety all over again.

With the possibility of a points deduction for exceeding Financial Fair Play limits still hanging over the club, the calls for a severe punishment for Sunday's events to act as a deterrent for the future, as valid as they may be, make for a daunting proposition for the club when combined with that FFP issue.

Though a points deduction as a result of the scenes in Sunday's derby may seem unlikely, the decisions over the two different disciplinary issues against the club that the authorities now have to make mean that those playing for Birmingham cannot truly be certain of what they are playing for.

If they avoid a points deduction, then the possibility of reaching the playoffs and the Premier League just about remains, with Championship football pretty much certain. A heavy points deduction for either or both of these issues however, could make it a hat-trick of final day survival deciders for Monk's men, with the Blues currently seventeen points clear of the drop.

Thankfully for those Birmingham players, they don't have to wait long to think about playing a game of football again, and a Wednesday visit to St Andrew's from out of form Millwall provides the perfect opportunity to get their season, on the pitch at least, back on track.