The countdown has begun: Manchester City await a verdict that could see them thrown out of the Premier League

One of the most serious cases in the history of English football is edging closer to a decisive moment, after the timeline of the legal battle waged by Manchester City in defence of itself against charges of violating the Premier League's financial regulations has begun to take shape.

Manchester City are about to begin a fresh round of their legal battle, and the sporting world is braced for a decision that could turn the English champions' future upside down. Sanctions are on the table that reach as far as relegation from the Premier League.

According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, citing the British newspaper the Financial Times, the date for City's appeal and the start of their defence is now known. The club are expected to appear before the independent commission in mid-December, the latest step in a case that has gripped English and European football for years and sparked wide controversy over the future of a club built to chase the biggest titles.

The report says City will get the chance to lay out their legal arguments and answer the charges against them, after an independent commission previously found them guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. Expect the appeal hearings to run for several days, given the sheer size of the file, its legal complexities and the number of charges the club want thrown out entirely.

City maintain their rejection of the charges. Through the appeal, they aim to overturn every conviction and dodge any sanction that would damage their sporting and economic standing. This stage carries enormous weight, because it could largely decide the club's future in English competition and bring an end to one of the most controversial cases the Premier League has ever seen.

The story does not end with December's hearings. According to the Financial Times, the independent commission may issue its ruling on the appeal early next year, followed by the announcement on possible sanctions. The file could therefore enter its most sensitive phase at the start of January, after sitting pending for a long time amid huge public and media anticipation.

The real danger lies in the nature of the punishment City could face if their appeal fails and the convictions stand. Multiple scenarios are circulating in the English press, from a huge financial fine to a heavy points deduction, all the way to relegation from the Premier League, a punishment that would amount to a historic blow for the club.

Latest speculation out of England points to one scenario in particular: a large points deduction rather than a mere financial penalty, one big enough to drop City into the first division. Nor does it stop there this season. Some estimates suggest an additional points deduction could follow the next campaign, which would make an immediate return to the Premier League extremely difficult.

For now, these scenarios remain speculation. No official decision has set out the nature or scale of any punishment, and the date for it to take effect is still unclear. The Financial Times points out that the sanctions themselves may be open to appeal, meaning the case might not reach its real conclusion once the first ruling lands. Its legal and sporting fallout could rumble on for some time yet.

The expected timeline, meanwhile, suggests a less hurried approach than previously thought, even if the Premier League have shown real determination to see the case through. Between the league's desire to protect its financial rules and City's insistence on defending their position, every outcome remains open until the final decisions arrive.

All of this lands at a rough moment for City in the Premier League. They have just suffered another blow, a 3-1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest in the tenth round, their third straight loss in the competition.

Enzo Maresca's side could not halt the slide, having already fallen to Aston Villa and Brighton in the previous two rounds before their troubles continued at Forest. The result left City stuck on 21 points in third place, six behind leaders Arsenal and one behind second-placed Brighton.

City now face two brutally difficult fronts. On the pitch, they must find their balance again and close the gap on their rivals. Off it, the moment of reckoning draws closer in a case that could shape their future for years. Caught between the ambition of returning to the winners' podium and the spectre of historic sanctions, the club await decisive weeks that could prove the hardest in their modern history.