Rio Ferdinand looks certain to turn out for Manchester United at Wolves on January 17 even though his eight-month ban is due to start five days earlier.
It is understood that the clarification Ferdinand's advisors demanded into the suspension for his missed drugs test will not be received until the middle of next week.
As the England defender has the right to ask for a full 14 days after receipt of the explanation before deciding whether to appeal, it would allow him to play any potential FA Cup third round replay against Aston Villa and the league game at Wolves.
It had originally been anticipated the clarification £30million Ferdinand was seeking would be received early this week but the weight of work involved has made that impossible.
The delay means it could now be the end of February or the beginning of March before any appeal is heard, dragging out a process which took three months just to hold the initial hearing.
It emphasises the problem new Football Association chief executive Mark Palios faces in trying to speed up disciplinary procedures and is sure to attract the attention of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been heavily critical of the handling of the case.
While United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who has vowed to continue selecting Ferdinand as long as he is available, will no doubt welcome the presence of his central defender for another match, it does put back the date when any eventual suspension will begin.
As it stands, Ferdinand will be out until September 12 but that date would be pushed back by 10 days even if he decided not to appeal against what Manchester United director and solicitor Maurice Watkins deemed "savage and unprecedented" punishment.
At the time, Watkins said an appeal was "inevitable" and though there have been reports of a rift between United and the players' union over Ferdinand's defence, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor has also suggested the 25-year-old should challenge the ban.
PA