EFL clash at risk of cancellation due to 'rare fungal infection' in wild development ahead of weekend's fixtures

The issue stems from a soil-borne pathogen that thrives in warm and humid weather, precisely the conditions Britain has endured this summer. Once established, it destroys perennial ryegrass at frightening speed, stripping the pitch of healthy turf and leaving behind dead patches unsuitable for competitive football.

The make-or-break call will be made at 11am on Friday, when a qualified match official joins forces with a representative from the Sports Turf Research Institute to assess the playing surface. If the fungus continues to spread or the recovery work proves insufficient, the fixture may be forced into postponement.

County’s staff admitted that a large amount of damaged grass had to be ripped up earlier this week in an urgent bid to salvage the surface. Replacement work and treatments have been rolled out under a rapid-response plan, with the club hopeful that the intervention will be enough to save the game.

In a public statement, they said: "Since the diagnosis, our grounds team have worked tirelessly to contain the issue and implement a recovery strategy - and we would like to stress that this highly unfortunate development is no fault of any individual or the club. We expect the pitch to make a steady recovery over the coming weeks."

Notts County currently sit 13th in the League Two table, with two wins and two defeats in their opening six outings. A win on Saturday could push them closer to the top half and restore momentum. All attention now shifts to Friday’s decisive inspection. Should the pitch pass muster, the game will go ahead. If not, it will mark one of the rarest postponements in recent memory, a clash stopped not by weather, protests, or policing, but by a fungus.