LONDON • Chelsea are unlikely to know until next month whether their two-window transfer ban will be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which heard their case yesterday.

The club are unable to make signings until next February after they were found guilty by Fifa of breaking transfer regulations relating to minors.

They were also fined £460,000 (S$808,000) and they failed to overturn the decision when presenting their case to Fifa's appeals committee in April.

Chelsea have since taken the case to CAS and their hopes of making signings in January rest on winning their appeal.

However, there will not be an immediate ruling on the case.

After the hearing concluded yesterday, the arbiters will deliberate and then prepare an award containing their decision, which is set to be announced next month.

Fifa published a judgment earlier this month, saying Chelsea were given a transfer ban following 150 rule breaches involving 69 academy players over several seasons.

The Blues were thus unable to add to their squad last summer, but Frank Lampard has indicated he will look to strengthen his team in January if the ban is overturned.

The manager is in the market for a new left-back and is interested in Leicester's Ben Chilwell as a potential replacement for Marcos Alonso.

If he is able to make signings, he could also allow the 33-year-old Olivier Giroud to leave.

The France striker is out of favour, having played only five times this season with four appearances as a substitute, and he has been targeted by Inter Milan.

THE GUARDIAN