Everton have successfully seen Lucas Digne’s three-game ban reduced.
Digne was due to miss a hat-trick of the Blues’ upcoming fixtures after a red card for a foul on Kyle Walker-Peters in last weekend’s loss at Southampton.
Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the Premier League leaders would be appealing the ‘joke’ ruling from referee Kevin Friend in his side’s first defeat of the season.
Wednesday’s meeting of the FA’s independent Regulatory Commission agreed with the Everton manager’s view that Digne’s challenge was not malicious.
The panel’s findings concluded that the France international received ‘clearly excessive punishment’ for the challenge late in the second half at St Mary’s.
As a result, Digne will now only sit out Everton’s trip to Newcastle on Sunday.
“An independent Regulatory Commission has upheld a claim of clearly excessive punishment in relation to Everton FC’s Lucas Digne,” read an FA statement.
“The defender was sent off for serious foul play during a Premier League fixture against Southampton FC on Sunday 25 October 2020 and would have been suspended for three fixtures.
“However, the independent Regulatory Commission has withdrawn his original suspension and applied a one-match suspension instead.”