Sakho hearing scheduled for early July

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho’s hearing over his anti-doping violation will take place in early July, Omnisport understands.

An exact date is yet to be confirmed but the hearing will take place next month, with the 26-year-old to discover if he will face any further punishment ahead of the new season.

Sakho was handed a 30-day provisional suspension by European football’s governing body on April 28 after it emerged that he had failed a drugs test – reportedly due to a fat-burning substance –following his club’s Europa League clash with Manchester United in March.

The initial ban, which the centre-back himself had requested, was subsequently extended by FIFA to include matches around the world.

The suspension cost Sakho a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad, as well as the chance to play in Liverpool’s final eight games of the season, which included the Europa League semi-finals and final.

UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body opted against extending the 30-day ban when it expired, but did not drop the case as they continued to investigate the substance’s effects, while Sakho’s team had the opportunity to submit their defence.

Speaking on June 7, UEFA chief medical officer Marc Vouillamoz told L’Equipe he expected the case to be resolved in a swift fashion.

He said: “To my knowledge, the disciplinary committee will decide fairly quickly on the case. Information was taken from experts, documents were passed to the defence of the player. 

“Now the player has the opportunity to speak, and once the player has given his opinion, the commission will look very quickly.”