The Football Association last night imposed a media blackout on the sex scandal shambles.

After initially suggesting there would be a formal response to Sunday night's resignation of chief executive Mark Palios, the governing body ended a long day of meetings by saying there would be no public announcements for fear of prejudicing the inquiry ordered by FA chairman Geoff Thompson.

Palios quit over the furore that erupted after a newspaper revealed that both he and England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had been having an affair with secretary Faria Alam.

However, the fate of the FA's director of communications, Colin Gibson, remained uncertain.

Gibson offered to resign yesterday following claims he tried to arrange a deal with the News of the World to keep Palios out of the story in exchange for full details of Eriksson's affair with 38-year-old Ms Alam.

But there was no news last night on whether that resignation had been accepted.

Eriksson, meanwhile, flew back to London yesterday and returned to his home in Regent's Park after spending the weekend at a football tournament in Amsterdam.

His fate is expected to be decided on Thursday when the FA's 12-man board holds an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis.

Reports have suggested that Thompson is also coming under increasing pressure in the wake of Palios's departure.

It was Thompson who, last week, said he was satisfied Palios "did not mislead or attempt to mislead the FA or its officials" over the affair.

David Davies, the acting chief executive whose secretary is Ms Alam, has also been identified in reports as another of the senior figures at the FA's Soho Square headquarters under scrutiny.

But despite the furore, Eriksson's position appeared increasingly secure - especially after Davies gave him his backing.

"It is right to say he wants to be coach of the senior England team," Davies said of the Swede.

"He has a consistent track record wherever he has worked and he is popular and highly respected by the players."

* Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren last night dismissed speculation linking him to the England post - despite emerging as firm favourite with the bookies.

McClaren insisted he was committed to Boro.