Chelsea appeal to be heard by Christmas

Secretary general for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Matthieu Reeb, has revealed Chelsea can expect a decision on their appeal over their transfer embargo by December.

The Blues have confirmed that they will contest the decision that saw Fifa ban them from signing any new players until January 2011 after they were found guilty of inducing Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007.

"If the appeal is fielded within the deadline of the next 21 days we should have the appeal in the next two or three weeks. Then the CAS can proceed in an extradited manner depending on whether the party has agreed to extradite the procedure," Reeb told Sky Sports News.

"But at the least we will probably issue a decision at the end of November or mid-December.

"We will have a panel of three arbitrators, so three judges. One will be selected by Chelsea the other by FC Lens and Fifa and the chairman will be CAS.

"It will be a final decision which would replace the Fifa decision if necessary. The CAS decision can be appealed only before the Swiss Supreme Court which is for the Swiss tribunal.

"It could be a final ruling before Christmas."