Manchester City's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) should not be affected by the actions of their Premier League rivals.
The Daily Mail reports that eight of the top ten teams in the country - with the Blues and Sheffield United the exceptions - have made an application to CAS asking that City be unable to play in the Champions League while their appeal is heard.
Such an intervention at this stage is unusual, to say the least. City have not requested a 'stay', the freezing of the punishment while the appeal is heard.
It is more common for such an action to be made in the Swiss federal tribunal - i.e. after any CAS trial - where it can take longer for cases to be heard.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk