Arsenal do not intend to appeal Granit Xhaka’s red card and will reluctantly accept the likely four match ban for his dismissal in the 2-1 defeat to Burnley.
Xhaka received the second red of his Arsenal career – and his ninth in the past three seasons – in the 65th minute of Sunday’s match for a two-footed tackle on Burnley midfielder Steven Defour.
Referee Jon Moss consulted with his assistant before showing Xhaka a straight red, and Standard Sport understands that Arsenal believe input of a second official in the decision to give the midfielder his marching orders only makes an appeal more unlikely to succeed.
Arsene Wenger offered no defence for Xhaka in the aftermath of the Burnley loss, though he did avoid directly saying he was disappointed with the player when asked by Standard Sport.
“He has to control his game and not punish the team with a lack of control in his tackling,” Wenger said. “We don’t encourage our midfielders to go down on tackling, we want them to stand up and not to make this kind of fouls.
“If it’s a bad tackle it’s a red card.”
Wenger and his assistant Steve Bould are believed to have reminded Xhaka of their expectations of him during training at London Colney today.
Xhaka is expected to be handed a four game ban by the Football Association, ruling him out of Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Southampton and league games against Watford, Chelsea and Hull.
