Boro chairman seeking approval

The 36-year-old has combined his first year in management with studying for his UEFA Pro Licence and recently spent two weeks on a residential course at Lilleshall along with coach Colin Cooper, but time constraints mean he will not make the necessary deadline.

Gibson said: "The FA know our problems and, to be fair to them, they have been very helpful and we hope there is not going to be a problem. I cannot say categorically that we do not expect a problem because that's not the case, there could be."

He added: "Part of the problem is that the courses have not been there for Gareth to go on.

"You imagine stepping out of the dressing room, where you perhaps do a two or three-hour day, and then suddenly you are into management and you have to eat, breathe, sleep, drink it.

"For him to find time during the season to progress, it's a bit of a nonsense. There is no fast-tracking.

"Gareth has been away for two or three weeks at Lilleshall, and he shared that coaching course with schoolteachers - and I am not being disrespectful to schoolteachers, they have every right to be on that course.

"But it is crazy that somebody with 57 England caps and 400 Premiership games, or whatever it was, starts on the same starting block.

"It is like having a doctorate in something and starting with an eight-year-old kid. It's not quite balanced."

Southgate was granted permission to continue in his job provided he was enrolled on a Pro Licence course by the start of the new season, in line with the Premier League's newly-amended rules. However, while he has completed his B Licence and is well on the way to adding the A Licence to his CV, time constraints mean he will not make that deadline.