Audio By Carbonatix
Chelsea's Marcos Alonso will miss the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton at Wembley on Sunday after being given a three-match ban for violent conduct.
The 27-year-old Spanish defender was charged by the Football Association (FA) after a challenge on Shane Long in Saturday's 3-2 win against the Saints.
He will also miss Premier League matches at Burnley on Thursday and Swansea on 28 April.
Alonso denied the charge and said such a suspension would be excessive.
But this was rejected after an independent commission hearing on Wednesday.
The FA took retrospective action after officials, including referee Mike Dean, failed to see the incident where Alonso appeared to stand on the back of Long's calf in the 43rd minute of the league match at St Mary's Stadium.
"It was a poor challenge - it should have been a red card in my view," said Southampton manager Mark Hughes after his relegation-threatened side's defeat.
"The disappointment was the officials didn't see it. They were all within a 10 to 15-metre radius - one of them should have seen it."
On Wednesday, Alonso was named in the Professional Footballers' Association's Premier League team of the year - the only representative from Chelsea.
In his absence against Burnley, Brazilian Emerson Palmieri - who was signed from Roma for an initial £17.5m in January - is set to make his first Premier League start.
Latest Stories
-
Minerals Commission inaugurates GH¢28m multipurpose sports complex in Kenyasi
5 minutes -
OSP has made corruption too costly to engage in lightly – Kissi Agyebeng
15 minutes -
U.S. FDA approves landmark pancreatic cancer drug that’s shown to improve survival
19 minutes -
NSA extends August 28 deadline for National Service applicants with biodata mismatches
22 minutes -
Ghanaian woman dies in China after collapsing at airport on journey to pursue Master’s Degree
28 minutes -
NSMQ 2026: Osei Tutu SHS hold off Ahantaman Girls, Presby SHTS to reach quarterfinals
43 minutes -
We worked with the FBI on Asante Berko case – OSP rejects claims it lacks competence
47 minutes -
Keep political actors out of police affairs to tackle electoral violence — Asah-Asante
49 minutes -
Africa cannot fund energy needs with public budgets alone – Ato Forson Â
57 minutes -
‎NSMQ 2026: Keta SHTS secures quarterfinals spot after beating Anum Presby, Kadjebi Asato
1 hour -
OSP has saved Ghana over 20 times the resources invested in it – Kissi Agyebeng
1 hour -
Kwabena Donkor, four others named as persons of interest in Asante Berko case – OSP
1 hour -
Police interdict officer over alleged demolition at Accra Race Course
1 hour -
Performance of OSP shouldn’t be measured by political applause – Kissi Agyebeng
1 hour -
April 15 ruling brought OSP prosecutions to standstill – Kissi Agyebeng
1 hour