Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Leicester blow: Jamie Vardy to miss next three games after rejected appeal for red card
JAMIE VARDY will miss Leicester's next three games after an appeal against his red card against Stoke was rejected by an independent regulatory commission.
Jamie Vardy will miss Leicester's next three games after losing appeal for red card against Stoke
Vardy was dismissed for a two-footed challenge on Mame Diouf, which referee Craig Pawson deemed to be reckless despite connecting with the ball first.
A short disciplinary statement from the Football Association read: "Jamie Vardy will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after his wrongful dismissal claim was rejected.
"The Leicester City striker was sent off for serious foul play during the game at Stoke City on Saturday 17 December 2016."
Vardy will be unavailable for the Boxing Day clash against Everton, the New Year's Eve game versus West Ham and the trip to Middlesbrough on January 2.
Vardy being shown a red card by referee Craig Pawson during the 2-2 draw with Stoke
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri admitted the decision was a debatable one following the 2-2 draw at the Bet365 Stadium, but the club appealed after replays suggested Jamie Vardy had been knocked off balance moments earlier by Glen Johnson.
Ranieri said after the match: "He wants to challenge and get the ball, not make a foul.
"If you listen to me I say no [to a red card], if you listen to Mark Hughes he says yes. But the decision is the referee and he says it's a red card.
"There was a big challenge between Johnson and Vardy. He touched the ball. Maybe it was yellow."
Claudio Ranieri reckons the decision to send off Vardy was debatable
Vardy was a star performer in the Foxes' unlikely title triumph last season, breaking a league record by scoring in 11 consecutive matches, but this campaign has been leaner for the 29-year-old and his team.
He went 16 games without a goal before ending his barren streak with a hat-trick against Manchester City and Leicester, who go into the festive programme just three points above the relegation zone, will miss his presence.
Vardy will next be available for his side's FA Cup third round match at Everton on January 7.