The first leg of Larne's Europa League qualifier against FC Iberia 1999 at Inver Park could face a 24-hour delay due to travel complications.

FC Iberia 1999's chartered flight encountered paperwork issues, preventing the Georgian team from arriving in Northern Ireland on Monday. Players and staff are now expected to reach Larne on Tuesday afternoon, with the match originally scheduled for 20:00 BST.

According to Uefa regulations, teams must arrive in the host country at least 24 hours before a match, which may necessitate a postponement of the game. The Georgian side may formally request this delay given their late arrival.

Both Larne, FC Iberia 1999, and Uefa have been reached out to for comments regarding the situation.

Looking ahead, the second leg is set for 11 August at 17:00 BST in Tbilisi. The winner of this tie will advance to face either Scottish Premiership side Rangers or Jagellonia Bialystok from Poland in the next round. The losing team will drop into the final qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League.

Notably, Larne made history by becoming the first Irish Premiership side to qualify for the league phase of a European competition in 2024 when they reached the Uefa Conference League.