Crystal Palace have appealed against the red card shown to Jean-Philippe Mateta during their 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday.
Referee Michael Oliver initially booked the French striker but upgraded the yellow card to a straight red following a VAR review in the 13th minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mateta caught Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven on the right ankle with his studs while attempting to reach a loose ball. Oliver reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor before deciding that the challenge involved “full forceful contact”.
However, Palace believe the challenge was accidental, arguing that Mateta was focused on the ball and did not see Van de Ven approaching.
The club have appealed in a bid to overturn the dismissal or reduce the resulting three-match suspension.
Palace struggled after going down to 10 men, with Tottenham scoring twice in the second half through Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke to secure a win.
Mateta’s potential absence would be a major blow to head coach Pierre Sage, who recently welcomed the striker back from a hamstring injury.
If the appeal fails, the 29-year-old will miss Palace’s Premier League home fixture against Liverpool this weekend, alongside subsequent matches against newly promoted Coventry City and Hull City.
However, the suspension will not affect his availability for Palace’s Europa League fixtures against Hoffenheim and Real Sociedad.
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