... the north-east club were fined for fielding striker Ji Dong-won in four Premier League games for which he was technically ineligible.
Bruce is still involved in the relegation dog fight with his club Hull City still not safe, and obviously a points deduction would rule out any hope of survival for Sunderland.
Sunderland were fined a six-figure sum after they made the Premier League aware that they did not have international clearance for the Korean player.
A Premier League source has said the rule breach was the “lowest level of administrative error”, in that Ji was registered with the club but that Sunderland did not have his international transfer certificate.
The club were fined by the Premier League board in December.
Hull boss Bruce, who signed Ji when he was Sunderland manager in the summer of 2011, told a news conference: “That’s pretty bizarre stuff.
“They should be in serious trouble, I would have thought.”
Asked if he would expect a club fielding an ineligible player to be handed a points deduction, Bruce replied: "I would have thought so though.”
Sources on Wearside insist there is no ongoing investigation amid speculation that the relegation-threatened club could yet be docked points.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday April 16
19:45 Everton v Crystal Palace
19:45 Manchester City v Sunderland
Saturday April 19
12:45 Tottenham v Fulham
15:00 Aston Villa v Southampton
15:00 Cardiff City v Stoke City
15:00 Newcastle Utd v Swansea City
15:00 West Ham Utd v Crystal Palace
17:30 Chelsea v Sunderland
Sunday April 20
12:00 Norwich City v Liverpool
14:05 Hull City v Arsenal
16:10 Everton v Man Utd
Monday April 21
20:00 Manchester City v West Brom