Hartlepool will discover their punishment for fielding an ineligible player in two separate hearings next week, raising the possibility of a points deduction just two days before the final day of the League One season.

The Football League will hold a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, May 4, while the Football Association will hold their own hearing two days later on Thursday, May 6.

The hearings relate to Hartlepool's selection of Gary Liddle for this month's League One game with Brighton, even though the central defender was suspended after picking up his tenth booking of the season in the previous weekend's defeat at Leyton Orient.

Pools are expected to plead mitigating circumstances, given that they were not officially notified of Liddle's suspension until after the Brighton game had been played.

However, if the Football League and FA find Pools guilty of fielding an ineligible player, they could deduct three points from their total.

Pools are currently six points above the relegation zone with two games to play and, in theory, could secure their League One safety with a point in this weekend's home game with Exeter.

A points deduction would see the situation change though, and in a worst-case scenario, Chris Turner's side could find themselves going into their final match of the season at Brentford on the same points total as the side in the final relegation place.