Chelsea to appeal Matic red card

The influential midfielder is facing a three-match ban having been sent off against Burnley but the Blues have confirmed they will contest the decision

Chelsea are to appeal the red card shown to Nemanja Matic during the Blues' 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The midfielder was sent off after reacting angrily to a challenge from Ashley Barnes and pushing the Clarets man to the ground.

Matic is facing a three-match ban for the incident which could rule him out of the League Cup final against Tottenham on Sunday as well as a trip to Upton Park to face West Ham and the visit of Southampton.

Chelsea have until 13:00 GMT on Tuesday to submit their evidence to the Football Association although manager Jose Mourinho admitted after the match on Saturday he did not expect any appeal to succeed.

When asked his opinion on Matic's red card, he replied: "Have you ever seen Chelsea win an appeal?"

Mourinho was also highly critical of Barnes' challenge, with the midfielder escaping punishment during the game from referee Martin Atkinson.

"I don't have the adjective for Barnes. This is the end of [a] career. Matic is a lucky guy. I cannot find the word to describe what that player did," he said.

"Football is about emotions and clearly Matic had a reason to lose his emotions. What are the consequences of the Matic push for the other player? Nothing.

"The consequence for Matic could be end of career. When probably they are going to give three matches [as a suspension] to Matic, you tell me how many matches [Barnes] deserves."