Sheffield United wait on as relegation rivals receive update on Premier League points deduction

Sheffield United’s relegation rivals Nottingham Forest have now been given a date for their appeal hearing following a points deduction earlier this year. The East Midlands club were hit with a four-point deduction over breaches of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

Forest were found to be £34.5million over their permitted threshold of £61million, and like Everton, they were punished with a points deduction. The Premier League strugglers have voiced their disagreement with the decision, largely because striker Brennan Johnson was sold for £50million, but because the sale took place shortly after the necessary period, the fee did not count towards the figures used to judge whether they were over the threshold.

Everton were partly successful in appealing their 10-point deduction for PSR breaches earlier in the season, getting four points back, and the Toffees are now appealing their second deduction of two points, which was dished out following separate breaches.

As things stand, Forest are sat outside the bottom three, one point above Luton Town and one point behind Everton above them, though the Toffees play one of their two games in hand on Monday night against Chelsea. Sheffield United are 10 points behind Forest - and indeed safety - at this point, and a successful appeal on Forest’s part could seal the deal as far as the Blades are concerned.

What we now know is that the hearing will take place on the week commencing April 22 - that’s next week - with the appeal being heard the week that Forest take on relegation rivals Everton. The decision is likely to be confirmed some time after that week.

The Premier League will want to get these appeals wrapped up quickly to make sure the relegation picture is not changed after the fact, with time running out. Most teams have either six or seven games remaining at this point, and the Premier League will want the arguments wrapped up before the last game to make sure teams know what they need to achieve to stay up - if indeed the race remains that close going into the final day.