Jason Pearce will begin a three-match ban at Millwall on Sunday after failing to overturn the red card shown to him in Leeds United’s defeat to Watford.
A Football Association regulatory panel rejected an appeal by United, sidelining Pearce until the beginning of next month.
The centre-back will miss the club’s Championship matches against Millwall, Leicester City and Crystal Palace before returning to contention for Leeds’ Yorkshire derby at Huddersfield Town on December 1.
Pearce was a shown a straight red card for a first-half challenge on Watford’s Matej Vydra on Saturday but United manager Neil Warnock defended him afterwards and Pearce declared himself “disappointed” by the FA’s refusal to rescind the dismissal.
The former Portsmouth player said: “I was massively disappointed. I’m a wholehearted player.
“I genuinely went for the ball and looking back I thought it was a yellow card.
“I went for the ball and I kicked him but it wasn’t a bad tackle or a dangerous tackle. I’m disappointed.”
Warnock described referee Trevor Kettle’s decision to dismiss Pearce as “harsh” and claimed the official had initially intended to book the defender before issuing a red card on the advice of his linesmen, Ben Toner and Paul Thompson.
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