Gaetano Berardi has had his three-match suspension reduced to two after the club successfully appealed against the length of his ban for the red card picked up in Saturday’s defeat to Rotherham United.

The full-back was dismissed late in the second half for his reaction to receiving an elbow in the face from Rotherham’s Leon Best, a foul which saw the Millers striker shown a straight red card and left Berardi with a bloody nose.

While the club does not condone Berardi’s actions and fully accepted his sending-off, a reduction in the standard punishment of a three-match ban was sought and successfully won upon appeal.

The club contested that the standard penalty for the offence was excessive and this claim was upheld with immediate effect following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.

Berardi will miss Saturday’s trip to QPR and the following weekend’s visit of Hull City, but the one-time Swiss international will be available for selection again at Charlton Athletic on December 12 as opposed to being made to wait until we travelled to Wolves later that week.