Javier Mascherano to sit out Blackburn game after losing ban appeal

Apr 11 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

JAVIER MASCHERANO will sit out Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Blackburn after failing in a bid to have his extended ban cut.

A Football Association regulatory commission fined Mascherano £15,000 and gave him an additional two-match suspension following his furious reaction to being sent off during at Manchester United on March 23.

The Argentina international served a mandatory one-match ban for his red card at Old Trafford and also admitted an FA charge of improper conduct.

Mascherano, 23, served the first instalment of his additional suspension at Arsenal on Saturday.

Liverpool were unhappy with the “inconsistency of sentencing based on past precedents”, with Mascherano seen as a scapegoat for some recent high-profile displays of petulance towards referees.

Those precedents may have included the cases of Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who staged a long protest after being sent off in last season’s Carling Cup final, and that of Watford’s John Eustace, who showed a reluct-ance to leave the field after being dismissed last month.

Both players received addition-al one-match suspensions, half the punishment meted out to Mascherano.

The midfielder challenged the sanction on the grounds his ban was excessive but this was dismissed yesterday by an appeals panel.

Meanwhile, Martin Skrtel has revealed he is sick of the sight of Arsenal after Liverpool completed their trilogy of games against the Gunners with Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final victory.

The Slovakian defender played a key part in the 4-2 win in the second leg that set up another semi-final meeting with Chelsea.

It climaxed a gruelling week in which Liverpool drew 1-1 twice at the Emirates – in the first leg of their European tie then in the Premier League on Saturday.

And Skrtel said: “For some time from now I don’t want to see Arsenal, not even on TV. I am fed up with them.

“The games were very tough in terms of fitness and mentally. I am glad they are behind us. It is not easy to play against such players, to defend against them.

“The first leg played in London was crucial. They were better than us but we did not lose.

IIn such games you cannot look to play beautiful football, the result is decisive.”

LIVERPOOL’S final Barclays Premier League home match of the season against Manchester City, originally scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, May 3, has now been put back to Sunday, May 4 with a 4pm kick-off as it will now be screened live on Sky Sports.