England defender Jarell Quansah has been handed a two-match suspension following his red card in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 victory over Mexico, ruling him out of the quarter-final against Norway and a potential semi-final.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee determined that Quansah’s challenge on Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo constituted serious foul play under Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, resulting in an automatic two-match ban. Under World Cup regulations, the decision cannot be appealed.
Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute after a VAR review during England’s 3-2 win over Mexico. Although he appeared to make contact with the ball, the challenge also caught Gallardo high on the shin with his studs.
The suspension leaves England manager Thomas Tuchel with limited options at right-back ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway. Reece James is still recovering from a hamstring injury, while Djed Spence has also been managing a fitness issue.
England officials were reportedly frustrated with the VAR review process, believing the referee was shown a still image of the point of contact rather than the full sequence leading up to the challenge. However, FIFA upheld the red card and imposed the extended suspension. (NewsWire)