Celtic to learn Europa League fate on Friday

UEFA will decide on Friday whether Celtic should be reinstated in the Europa League at the expense of Sion.

UEFA today confirmed their control and disciplinary body would meet at 4pm Irish time to "deal with the two protests lodged by Celtic FC".

Celtic played both legs of their play-off defeat against the Swiss side under protest over their opponents' alleged breach of a transfer embargo.

However, Celtic may have to wait for confirmation of their reprieve with Sion having two rights of appeal.

The Swiss outfit would be able to appeal to UEFA within three days of receiving the written explanation of their decision, and could then challenge the ruling in the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sion were drawn against Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes in the group stages after securing a 3-1 aggregate win over Celtic.

Sion had signed five players with the club still under a transfer ban imposed by FIFA after breaching rules over the signing of Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary three years ago. One of those, Pascal Feindouno, scored two goals against Celtic.

Sion successfully argued in a Swiss civil court the embargo had ended, prompting the Swiss football association to allow them to field the players in their league.

But UEFA president Michel Platini last week offered Celtic genuine hope they could take their place in the group stages.

"FC Sion has not respected the rules of the transfer ban - they signed players and then played those players," Platini said.

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino added that Sion could be expelled and that the civil court ruling did not affect them.

He said: "It is an interpretation question which is complicated - whether a two transfer-window ban means two transfer windows or parts of several transfer windows."

CAS general-secretary Matthieu Reeb last week told Press Association Sport that any hearing could be held before the first group stage tie on September 15, although UEFA had initially been expected to rule on Tuesday.

Celtic striker Anthony Stokes today insisted his team would have no problem taking the place of Sion.

"It is not the most dignified way to go about getting back into Europe, but if they have signed the players and they are ineligible then I think we deserve to be back in," the Irishman said.

Sion are due to begin their group campaign against Atletico in Spain on September 15.

Stokes said: "It is a tough group but we are slowly coming to hit top form, we haven't got there yet but hopefully in the next few weeks we can get into the swing of things.

"We are just focused on the league because we don't know how long this will take to figure itself out."