WANDERERS’ administrators are looking for answers from the EFL on what punishment the club may face next season for failing to fulfil its fixtures.

It is feared the Whites could be docked as many as nine points on top of the 12-point deduction for an insolvency event, leaving them with a mountain to climb in League One next season.

Joint-administrator, Paul Appleton, confirmed to The Bolton News there was “ongoing discussion” with the EFL over potential penalties, which will be decided by an independent panel in the coming weeks.

At least two would-be buyers have now paid the £25,000 fee to gain access to Wanderers’ data room, containing all the necessary financial information they will need to complete a deal.

But it is understood some potential bidders are waiting to see if the EFL can clarify how severe the punishment will be before deciding whether to proceed.

The league have declined to divulge detail on when the panel will meet, or who will be involved in deciding Wanderers’ fate. Birmingham City faced a similar situation last season when they waited several weeks before learning they had a nine-point penalty for financial breaches.

Bolton were the first club in EFL history to force the postponement of a game by going on strike so there is no precedent for the panel to fall back on. But it is hoped, among Wanderers fans at least, that new ownership will not be penalised harshly for a situation they had no control over.