Huddersfield Town latest EFL club to be put under transfer embargo for not meeting accounts deadline

It also means they will be unable to sign players up to new contracts until the matter is resolved.

In truth, neither is much of a short-term hardship with manager Neil Warnock saying recently he had been unable to find any free agents he thought could strengthen his squad and no rush to agree new contracts with such uncertainty over what next season holds.

With 10 games to play, the Terriers have a six-point gap to make up to get out of the Championship relegation zone.

Demotion would mean a hit of £6m-£7m to a club currently up for sale and requiring owner Dean Hoyle to make up an annual shortfall of around £10m before player trading.

Hoyle is committed to doing so until the club is sold, despite recent rumours a Championship club is looking into the consequences of administration.

Football League sides cannot anyway sign free agents after next Thursday.

Huddersfield are not being punished for an infringement on the level of Reading or Sheffield United, also under transfer embargoes.

The Blades were placed under one in January for failing to settle transfer debts, whereas Reading were recently punished for exceeding spending limits agreed with the League after previous largesse. A points deduction is expected too.

Huddersfield's is a less serious offence, though why their accounts were delayed is unclear.

The League expects them to be filed by March 1, even though they have until 31st to lodge them with Companies House.

As soon as they are submitted and League approval is given, the embargo can lifted.

Whether relegated or not, Town will need to be in a position to register players once this campaign is over. If they do go down, it will be even more pressing with a large turnover of the squad required.