Leeds have been unsuccessful in their appeal to rescind the straight red card issued to defender Pascal Struijk for breaking Harvey Elliott’s ankle in the Premier League match against Liverpool (0-3, September 12).
The central defender went in to win the ball from behind – which he did cleanly – and ended up trapping Elliott’s ankle between his legs.
The referee decided against giving a foul initially and let the play continue. The immediate reaction of Mohamed Salah – who was closest to Elliott during the play – brought the match to a halt momentarily whilst the youngster received treatment.
After deliberation and assistance from the video assistant referee, the referee Craig Pawson decided to send Struijk off. It is believed that the referee told the FA that the decision to send the defender off was his, which, in turn, proved key in the appeal proceedings.
Struijk will miss the Premier League games against Newcastle United and West Ham as well as an EFL Cup Third Round tie against Championship side Fulham.
The Leeds defender received backing from Elliott himself during the last few days, the latter initially claiming that the tackle did not call for a sending-off. Elliott later took to Instagram to protest against Struijk’s ban, stating that he thought it was wrong.
Struijk’s absence, combined with that of central defenders Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, leaves Marcelo Bielsa’s side with just one fit and available senior centre back, at least for the next few weeks.
The Spaniard will have the difficult task of finding the right partner for club captain Liam Cooper in central defence, although he has played right-back Luke Ayling in that position previously.
