Luis Suarez gets two-match ban

Barcelona's Luis Suarez has been given a two-game ban after being reported by a referee for inciting opposing players.

The charge relates to an incident following the 4-1 victory over Espanyol in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday as Barcelona have confirmed the player is alleged to have taken part in an altercation in the tunnel. The club will appeal against the suspension, which would prevent Suarez from playing in the next leg of the last-16 clash against Espanyol and the quarter-final, should they progress. A statement on their website said: “FC Barcelona will immediately proceed to appeal the ban...In the appeal, FC Barcelona is expected to argue that the player, as he later stated, did not use the allegedly offensive words that were attributed to him in the referee's official notes following the match”.

Suarez is no stranger to suspensions having been banned three times in the past for biting opponents.