Derby County's appeal over the 12-point deduction they received for entering administration is expected to fail.
The Rams were hit with the penalty, which saw them drop to the bottom of the Championship as a result, back in September as the club hit a new low point under Mel Morris.
With the deduction applied automatically, clubs are not normally allowed to appeal. However, Derby have tried to claim that they were put in this position because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so they shouldn't lose point.
And, it appears a decision is close, as The Athletic have revealed that the appeal is 'likely to fall on deaf ears'.
Whilst that would be a major blow for Wayne Rooney's side, there was good news in that another points deduction that they were fearing would be nine points, is likely to be three.
As is stands, Derby are nine points from safety at the bottom of the league, so they already face a huge battle to remain a Championship club and losing this appeal won't help things.
The verdict
This is a setback for Derby, although there won't be many who believed that they were going to win the appeal as it's a punishment that is automatically applied.
Of course, the positive update is about the fact they are only going to lose another three points, and Rooney will be so glad to finally know where the club stand.
Clearly, it's going to be a major challenge to remain in the division but if the gap is 12 points then the Rams may think they still have a glimmer of hope.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.