Swindon Town face the prospect of being expelled from the EFL Trophy following charges that they used two players who were not eligible during their round of 16 triumph over Luton Town earlier this week.
The League Two side, currently pushing for promotion, secured a 2-1 victory in the Vertu Trophy fixture on Tuesday, but the result now hangs in the balance.
An independent Disciplinary Commission will determine whether the Robins should be removed from the competition entirely.
The club has engaged legal representation to contest the allegations, maintaining that an error in the FA's own systems led to the situation.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Manager Ian Holloway selected captain Ollie Clarke for the match despite the 33-year-old midfielder being midway through a seven-game ban imposed by the Football Association.
Clarke's suspension stems from an incident during a fixture against Cardiff last August, where he was found to have "violated" the private parts of two opposing players, though the ban only commenced in December.
The second breach involved striker Aaron Drinan, who entered the game as a substitute at half-time without having been included on the official team sheet submitted before kick-off.
Ian Holloway fielded two players who were ineligible in Swindon's match with Luton
| GETTYWill Wright and Filozofe Mabete scored for Swindon, overturning Jerry Yates' early penalty for Luton.
The EFL confirmed the charges in an official statement: "Swindon Town Football Club has been charged with two alleged breaches of EFL Regulations and EFL Trophy Rules."
The governing body outlined that potential sanctions could extend to removing Swindon from this season's Vertu Trophy altogether, with Luton Town being reinstated in their place.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Swindon captain Ollie Clarke has always maintained his innocence | PADue to the ongoing proceedings, Saturday's quarter-final draw will feature both clubs until a final decision is reached.
The statement specified that Clarke "was serving a seven-game suspension from the Football Association" while Drinan "was not named on the official team sheet" when he appeared in the second half.
Swindon officials have placed responsibility for the Clarke error squarely on the Football Association's disciplinary portal.
The club maintains that when they consulted the system, which displays which matches a suspended player must miss, the Luton fixture was not listed.
Swindon Town are currently in League Two
|GETTY
This absence led them to conclude the EFL Trophy was not classified as a fully competitive first-team tournament, meaning their captain's ban would not apply.
The Robins have now assembled a legal team to challenge the charges before the Disciplinary Commission.
Clarke remains roughly halfway through his suspension, with several matches still to serve once the matter is resolved.
How the situation plays out remains to be seen.