NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Manchester City defender Kyle Walker will miss round-of-16 games against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League after receiving a three-match European ban from UEFA on Friday.
UEFA said its disciplinary panel imposed the suspension for Walker’s red-card foul on Leipzig forward André Silva in a group-stage game in December.
The foul was “a very bad judgment,” the England international acknowledged this month, “a stupid error that a 31-year-old shouldn’t be making with the amount of games that I’ve played."
Walker is Man City’s first-choice right back and will now miss both games against Sporting, on Feb. 15 and Mar. 9, plus the first leg of the quarterfinals if the English champion advances.
Walker and his club can challenge the ban at UEFA’s appeals committee.
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