Nottingham Forest are set to have to wait a little while longer for final clarity regarding their points deduction for breaching financial regulations.

Last month, the Reds were docked four points for breaking the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules. The club released an angry statement in the aftermath of that announcement and went on to confirm they were appealing the sanction.

The club's appeal hearing is understood to be scheduled to commence in the week beginning April 22. It means the saga could drag on for some time yet.

The Toffees were deducted 10 points earlier in the campaign, which was reduced to six on appeal. They have indicated they will appeal their second punishment.

The Premier League have put a backstop date of May 24 - five days after the final round of top-flight fixtures - in place to resolve the cases of both clubs. With both teams involved in the battle for survival, there is the potential for the relegation picture to still be up in the air after the last game of the season.

"It can affect the integrity of the competition, no doubt about it," Nuno said on Thursday. "In terms of our approach, it will not change.

"Since we arrived there has always been the same objective, to win the games and realise that we have tough opponents and see how we can do things. That approach will not change.

"But there are decisions and the competition by itself needs some final clarity by what I call a mess. It's a mess because it's appeal after appeal after appeal and we don't know what exactly is going to happen.

Forest are one point above the bottom three after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. They make the trip to Goodison Park to face Everton next Sunday.