FIFA ruling may hit League clubs
BBC Sports
Clubs who are involved in this season's Football League play-offs are set to lose players involved in the 2006 World Cup finals because of a new Fifa rule.
Players chosen for the finals will not be able to play in any club game after 15 May, apart from the Champions League final, which has been moved to 17 May.
It means that Andy Johnson, if chosen by England, would miss the Championship final - if Crystal Palace reached it.
Reading, Southampton, Port Vale and Wrexham could also be affected.
Respectively the quartet have players representing the United States, Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago.
Fifa have introduced the cut-off date so players can have sufficient rest before the finals start on 9 June.
As well as moving the Champions League final, the Uefa Cup final has also been brought forward a week to 10 May.
"We don't want burned-out players. They will be free from other engagements," said Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi.
"The 23 players on the list for each of the 32 participating nations will not be available for any other competitions after this date.
"The Champions League final is a special exception."
There have been complaints in recent major tournaments that players involved in the major European leagues had arrived in an exhausted state because of the heavy schedule of matches during the domestic season.
