Reading boss Paul Ince believes the club could be hit with a six point deduction within the next week for financial misdemeanours.

The club, with a six point suspended sentence hanging over them after breaching Profit and Sustainability regulations, would drop to just seven points clear of the drop zone with 13 fixtures remaining.

Leaks first appeared yesterday from national journalists, befeore the EFL released a statement to explain that they were looking into the Royals finances.

Speaking to boss Ince ahead of the trip to Middlesbrough, the topic of the looming deduction was hot on everyone's lips.

"It leaked out yesterday in the Daily Mail and I had just come out of the training ground. I knew there was going to be a situation, with the last two years, that there was a suspended six points. I presumed the fact that we were compliant with the EFL that was fine, but you’ve always got the six points hanging over you. Whatever’s happened I’m not too sure. It’s 150 million per cent right [historical issue not present day]. I’d love to be able to say that I’d spent so much money that I’d overspent, it’s not just my wife that’s does that! It’s not the case. Whatever has happened happened two years ago when I wasn’t here. I don’t know the in-depths of it because I focus on the next games coming up. What I can categorically say is that you’ve all been here this season and seen the players who have come in, there’s not been transfer fees and nothing has been going on.

"I can still see the positives about taking this club forward for the future, because that’s what the fans want to know. We have to be crystal clear with the fans or hide behind anything. I’m as honest as they come and I won’t lie to skirt around issues, if there’s something that needs to be said, they need to be told. We have to make it transparent, because if we don’t they will never be behind us. It’s important to me as a manager, and once I find out they will be told.

"My loyalty lies with my fans and my players. What the EFL decided to do is out of my control, I can’t control what happened two years ago when I wasn’t here. What I can control is how we fix it, because I have to pick up the baton. As angry as I feel about it, what’s the point of crying over split milk. We’ve got 13 game to go, let’s pick up the baton and galvanise this team to make sure we’re in the Championship next year.

"Speaking to Bo[Mark Bowen] I think it might be next week, but we’re not sure. We want to know. If we’re going to get it, give it to us and if we’re not then let us get on with the rest of the season. If we get it, it will be next week."

The Royals will drop from 14th to 19th in the Championship, facing four of the top five in the next run of fixtures.