Brighton & Hove Albion face a tricky situation in the coming games. With the fitness of Glenn Murray in question, the latest decision of the FA on Tomer Hemed will not be welcome by the Seagulls.
The FA decided today that Hemed will be facing a three-match ban after his alleged stamp on Newcastle United's DeAndre Yedlin. Hemed scored the winner in the 1-0 victory at the Amex, which took his side to 13th in the table.
Hemed appealed FA's charge
It was a happy reunion for Chris Hughton with his former side, as he beat the Magpies for the first time in his managerial career, thanks to Hemed's second-half header.
It was a dominant showing from a Brighton side that dominated the game for most of the 90 minutes.Rafael Benítez's side looked out of shape on the day and only really got into the match after they fell behind.
Despite their best attempts, they were unable to get past the stubborn Brighton defence, whose performance was highly praised by Hughton.
However, there was the unfortunate incident involving Hemed and Yedlin which drew some criticism and rage from the Newcastle fans as well. Some believed the Israeli deserved to be sent off for the stamp. As a result of that challenge, he was charged by the FA on the grounds of violent conduct.
Hemed appealed to the governing body's decision before the deadline of Tuesday evening, to which the FA gave their reply today.
Three-match ban declared for Hemed
Unfortunately for the striker, his appeal was rejected and therefore he would be serving a ban for a duration of three games in the league.
The upcoming games for the Seagulls include trips to Arsenal and West Ham United before they host Everton at the Amex.
The club has refused to make any further comment on the situation at the moment and made the announcement on their official website.
The FA released a statement about Hemed's ban, which said, "Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tomer Hemed will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after a violent conduct charge against him was found proven."
"The player was involved in an incident with Newcastle United’s DeAndre Yedlin in the 88th minute of the game on Sunday (September 24, 2017), which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.
The player denied the charge, however, it was found proven following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today [Wednesday 27 September 2017".
Glenn Murray might be in contention for the weekend's game against the Gunners, while Sam Baldock is still rehabilitating from his injury and will be unavailable for the Seagulls' match at the Emirates.