Queens Park Rangers could be forced to play without midfielder Glen Kamara in Friday's Championship fixture against West Ham United, with a dispute between the club and the Football Association of Finland potentially heading to Fifa.
The Finnish federation claims that Kamara, 30, was pulled from international duty by QPR ahead of Tuesday's Uefa Nations League match against Hungary, cutting short his involvement with the national side during the current window.
Finland head coach Jacob Friis addressed the situation on the federation's official website, explaining the difficult position Kamara found himself in. "Glen was in a difficult situation as his club insisted he leave the camp and return to London," Friis said. "He had to make a decision that was obviously not what we wanted."
The episode has opened up a potential disciplinary issue under Fifa's international release rules. Regulations stipulate that any player released for a national team window must remain with that squad for its entirety unless an earlier return has been mutually agreed between club and association. Crucially, the rules also state that a player withdrawn without proper agreement cannot feature for his club within five days of the international window's conclusion, unless the national association grants its consent.
Friday's Championship match at West Ham falls just three days after the Nations League window closes, meaning Kamara's eligibility hinges on how the dispute is resolved - and whether Finland's federation agrees to waive the restriction.
Speaking to media before the West Ham fixture, QPR head coach Julien Stephan acknowledged that discussions were ongoing. "There is a dialogue between the club and the Finland federation," Stephan said. "We will take a decision after that discussion."
The Finnish FA's general secretary, Marco Casagrande, was more pointed in his criticism, telling newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he believed the rules had been breached. "The regulations are very clear, and in our view, they were not fully followed in this case," Casagrande said. "Fifa will definitely be informed. The player has not been available for the entire international window, as the regulations say he should be. After that, it's up to Fifa how they proceed with the matter."
Despite the strong language, the Football Association of Finland told BBC Sport that its immediate priority remained Tuesday's Nations League encounter with Hungary, suggesting any formal complaint to football's governing body may follow once that fixture has been played.
Kamara's recent involvement with Finland had already been somewhat limited before the row emerged. He did not feature at all in the Nations League opener against San Marino, was substituted at half-time during the match with Belarus, and was introduced as a second-half substitute in Saturday's game against Albania.
At club level, the Finland international has also seen a mixed run of involvement this season. Of QPR's eight Championship matches so far, Kamara has started three and appeared as a substitute in four more, playing a rotational role as Julien Stephan's side have pushed into the top half of the table.
QPR currently sit sixth in the Championship standings, and the outcome of the dispute with the Finnish federation could have direct implications for their squad options against West Ham. Should Fifa become formally involved, the case may set a notable precedent for how club-versus-country withdrawal disagreements are handled during future international windows.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.