Crystal Palace striker, Jean-Philippe Mateta will miss three Premier League matches after the club lost its appeal against his red card in Saturday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. The decision leaves Palace without their key forward for crucial league fixtures.

The France international was sent off in the 13th minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a late challenge on Spurs defender Micky van de Ven when the game was still goalless. Referee Michael Oliver initially showed a yellow card but upgraded it to a straight red after a review by the Video Assistant Referee.

Crystal Palace challenged the decision, arguing that the contact was accidental and that Mateta’s attention was on the ball. The club maintained that the striker did not see Van de Ven before making contact with the defender’s ankle, but the appeal was dismissed.

The Football Association confirmed that an independent regulatory commission dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment in relation to Mateta. As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the ruling means the 29-year-old must serve an automatic three-match ban for serious foul play.

The suspension will see Mateta miss Sunday’s home fixture against Liverpool, the away trip to Coventry City on November 21, and the home meeting with Hull City on November 29. The ban is a further blow for manager Pierre Sage, whose side sits 18th in the Premier League with seven points from nine games.

Despite the domestic suspension, the striker will remain available for Palace’s Europa League fixtures. He can feature against Hoffenheim on Thursday and Real Sociedad on November 26, as European competitions are not affected by the domestic ban.

Palace, who have now lost three consecutive league games without scoring, will have to rely on Eddie Nketiah as their only available recognised striker during Mateta’s absence. The club had only recently welcomed Mateta back from a hamstring injury.