Can't link Xbox account because its already linked but also disabled??

Can anybody tell me what on earth is going on here??

"Your accounts can’t be linked because your Xbox account ***** *** already linked to your EA Account for 67*****@disabled.ea.com"

Could it possibly be because the Xbox account might have been originally linked via an old defunct email address? (No longer accessible).

I've tried to Contact EA directly twice using the online ticket form but no response.