Chelsea striker Diego Costa will miss Saturday’s crucial English Premier League game against title rival Manchester City after being handed a three-match ban for stamping on an opponent’s leg.
The Spain international contested the English Football Association’s decision to charge him with violent conduct for treading on the right ankle of Liverpool’s Emre Can during the second leg of the League Cup semifinal on Tuesday.
The FA’s independent commission upheld the charge on Friday and Costa, the Premier League’s top scorer, will be suspended for Chelsea’s next three league games — starting with the visit of second-place City to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea will pull eight points clear of City with a win.
Costa will also miss an away game at Aston Villa and a home match against Everton. His next game is likely to be the Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Feb. 17.
