The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Big week for Posh...
...and a message for Dembele
Posh fear meticulous planning for the Championship match at Sheffield United on Saturday could be scuppered by a ban for key striker Jonson Clarke-Harris.
Clarke-Harris is still awaiting a decision on FA charges of alleged historic abusive comments on social media.
The charges relate to a time when the 27 year-old was 17 and 18.
Clarke-Harris declined a personal hearing with an FA disciplinary board and instead offered written mitigation.
The original deadline for the player’s response was late August, but this was extended. Even so Posh felt they would have received a decision by now.
Clarke-Harris is due to play at Bramall Lane after a successul operation to remove fluid from his knee.
Likely replacement Jack Marriott is still working his way towards full match fitness, while teenage forward Ricky-Jade Jones will be out for another two months with knee ligament damage.
Clarke-Harris could receive a lengthy ban from the FA and Posh are concerned they won’t find out until the day before a game.
“We need to know as soon as possible,” Ferguson stated. “But we don’t know whether we will hear today. It could even be Friday which is far from ideal obviously, but we just don’t know.
“Jonson will be fit enough to play on Saturday, but whether or not he is allowed to is another matter.”
Watford striker Andre Gray was banned for four games after receiving a similar FA charge to Clarke-Harris.
If a four-game ban was issued before the weekend Clarke-Harris would miss Championship matches at Sheffield United, Reading and Coventry as well as a home game with Birmingham.