The Scottish Football Association will walk a tightrope today when George O'Boyle and Kevin Thomas attend the final hearing into their dismissals by St Johnstone.
Saints chairman Geoff Brown is also expected to appear after stating publicly neither player will appear for his club again after allegations of drug-taking in a Perth nightclub.
Brown terminated both men's contracts when the alleged incident originally occurred but the Scottish Premier League ruled the sackings went too far.
At the time, SPL chief executive Roger Mitchell admitted that the decision to uphold the players' appeal without giving a full explanation of the reasons was a "mistake".
Brown has stated he will look again at how his club drafts contracts to take every eventuality into account.
Should the SFA clear the duo Saints will have to honour their contract payments and technically welcome them back into the fold.
But a more likely scenario - given Brown's implacable opposition - is that they will be sold on. PA
