Gary Lineker is expected to return for FA Cup action next week (Picture: Getty Images)
Gary Lineker could be back on the BBC as soon as Saturday evening, with talks between the presenter and the corporation ‘moving quickly’ towards a resolution.
The BBC’s decision to take Lineker off Match of the Day presenting duty on Saturday has caused chaos for their sport schedule over the weekend with a string of other presenters, pundits and commentators refusing to work in solidarity with the former England striker.
Match of the Day aired with no presenters, pundits or commentary on Saturday evening, a bleak affair, although one that attracted huge viewing figures and people turned on to see how daft the situation has become.
MOTD2 will be shown on Sunday evening, but it will again be a heavily-reduced broadcast with no presenter of pundits speaking about the action.
This all stemmed from a tweet Lineker posted which compared language used by the Tory government on their illegal immigration policy to that used in 1930s Germany.
He wrote of the Illegal Migration Bill, calling it an ‘immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.’
The BBC claim that this is against their policy of impartiality but Lineker has refused to apologise for the tweet, so there is something of a standoff.
However, both the BBC and Lineker are keen to resolve the situation, reports The Telegraph, and talks are moving quickly towards a resolution.
Director-general Tim Davie has been in America but is flying back to the UK for more talks an with the hope that Lineker will return to programming as soon as possible.
The FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley is being shown on BBC One on Saturday, with the programme starting at 5.25pm, and Lineker could be back on hosting duty then.
MORE : BBC commentator explains ‘difficult decision’ to continue on Radio Five Live amid Gary Lineker row
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It will only be a brief step back for Lineker.