Footballers are seeking legal advice amid concerns their lucrative wage and bonus structures will be in jeopardy if the season is declared null and void – or doesn’t start again for months.

Bonus payments are common place, with players eligible for top-ups to their basic salaries. And many players are on pay-as-you-play deals.

But the threat of the season being cancelled is set to cause chaos over what players are entitled to.

A number of lower-league players, particularly those on highly incentivised contracts, face the prospect of missing out on thousands of pounds if the season does not restart.

Hundreds of players in the EFL have deals which pay them a low basic wage which increases significantly once they are paid bonuses such as appearance money.

Players lower down the football pyramid are now under serious financial pressure, with many fearing they will struggle to pay bills without the extra cash.

As a result, players have sought legal guidance over whether they are entitled to all or some of the bonuses they may have been due, if the season is cancelled.

While lower-league players will inevitably be the worst hit, the emerging doubt over bonuses also has significant implications in the Premier League. Given the amounts top-flight players earn, the consequences are far less severe for them, of course.

In certain cases, players even stand to benefit financially if the season is deemed null and void.

For instance, Norwich players would be forced to take pay-cuts if, as looks likely at the moment, they are relegated.

Voiding the season would preserve their Premier League status and thus protect their current salaries.

Having seen their salaries slashed by 20 per cent for failing to qualify for this season’s Champions League, Manchester United players’ wages will increase to the original amount if they secure entry into the competition next term.

Given Manchester City’s European suspension, United, who are currently in fifth place in the league, would qualify for the Champions League the way things stand at the moment. Likewise, third-placed Leicester’s players are on course to earn hefty Champions League qualification bonuses.

The true financial damage caused by the coronavirus crisis will become clearer in the months ahead. But Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy believes the pandemic represents the biggest challenge of his 20-year tenure.

Levy has vowed to ensure the virus does not ‘undermine the future stability of the club’.

Levy was speaking as the club announced their financial results for 2018-19, when Spurs recorded £460million in revenue – the fourth highest in the Premier League.

He said: ‘I have spent nearly 20 years growing this club and there have been many hurdles along the way – the pandemic is the most serious of them all.

‘You will have noticed that we have, as a necessity, ceased all fan-facing operations. With such uncertainty we shall all need to work together to ensure the impact of this crisis does not undermine the future stability of the club.’

In Scotland, Premiership side Hearts on Wednesday announced that all players and staff are to take a 50 per cent cut in wages, starting from next month, in a bid to keep the club afloat during the crisis.

Meanwhile, FIFA will make a £8.5m donation to the World Heath Organisation to support efforts to tackle Covid-19.

The president of football’s global governing body, Gianni Infantino, announced the move in a statement on Tuesday.

He also confirmed that the organisation will accept requests from Uefa and CONMEBOL to postpone the Euro 2020 and Copa America tournaments that were due to be staged this summer.

John Obi Mikel has had his Trabzonspor contract terminated by mutual consent after the former Chelsea midfielder took to Instagram to protest that matches in Turkey were still going ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.