Chelsea have failed in their bid to overturn Reece James’ four-match ban.
James was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Brighton striker, Joao Pedro.
In the FA’s documents of the appeal seen by Mail Sport, there is a summary of the evidence submitted by the club and player.
It claims that James was “disoriented” after being fouled from behind, that Pedro “made contact” as he ran past, and that: “It had not been his intention to harm Mr Pedro, he was simply pushing him away with his foot.”
The FA’s independent regulatory commission unanimously refused to buy this justification.
This means James will serve the rest of his four-game ban, due to this being his second red card of the season.
It means the 24-year-old will miss Chelsea’s first three fixtures of the 2024/2025 campaign, having sat out their final fixture against Bournemouth.
