Sunderland manager Steve Bruce must cope without key defender Michael Turner until the middle of January after his red card appeal was rejected.
Not only did disciplinary chiefs decide to dismiss the Black Cats' challenge to Turner's dismissal for catching Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry with his elbow at the weekend, but they also added a fourth game to his automatic three-match ban because they felt "the claim had no prospect of success".
Bruce, who has been given until December 31 to explain his comments about referee Andre Marriner during the post-match press conference at Eastlands, continued to back his player over the incident.
He said: "The problem we have got with Michael Turner - and I have watched it 10 times over - and this is the big debate: if there's an intentional elbow, then fine, it's a red card.
"But the pair of them, him and Gareth Barry, are glued to the ball.
"There's no question that Michael Turner has caught Gareth Barry, I am not arguing that case, and that was on the day as well."
Former centre-back Bruce added: "It was a shuddering challenge, I agree, but that's why my face is the way it is. It's part and parcel of it.
"It seems to me now that it's a red card if somebody catches somebody across the face with an arm.
"But I keep saying, if you are jumping for a ball, it is impossible to jump without leverage with your arms.
"It's impossible - you look at a high jumper, the way he jumps, his arms are up above his head, and that's most footballers too, especially if you are running forward."
Turner, 26, will mix the Boxing Day clash with Everton and the trip to Blackburn two days later, as well as the FA Cup third-round tie against non-league Barrow and Bolton's visit to the Stadium of Light on January 9, and will not be available again until the Black Cats head for Chelsea the following weekend.
That will present Bruce with yet more selection problems, with Turner, Kenwyne Jones, Lorik Cana, Kieran Richardson and Phil Bardsley having already served suspensions this season and injuries also biting hard into his squad.
