Luke Ayling to face Leeds loanee Joe Gelhardt after Southampton expelled | OneFootball

Luke Ayling is set to face Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt at Wembley after Middlesbrough were reinstated to the Championship play-off final.

The EFL said in a statement that Southampton have been expelled from the play-offs for multiple breaches involving unauthorised filming of rivals’ training, with a four-point deduction to start 2026/27 and a reprimand. It added that Boro are back in the 2026 final against Hull City on Saturday 23 May, with kick-off to be confirmed.

Boro had lost their semi-final to Southampton 2-1 on aggregate, a tie clouded by spying allegations, and kept training while the investigation continued.

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has admitted spying on three separate clubs. The club have appealed and an accelerated hearing is due today.

This is the second spying punishment in the Championship after Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa in 2018/19. A member of his staff watched Derby County train from a public footpath and Leeds were fined £200,000, which Bielsa paid, before a specific rule was introduced.

Ayling was in that Leeds squad and now has a shot at promotion with Boro. Hull finished sixth then beat third-place Millwall in their semi-final, with Gelhardt scoring in the second leg at the Den for his 15th of the season.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk