Luis Suarez has arrived in Switzerland to have his appeal against the four-month ban on a football-related activity imposed by FIFA heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Reports from Spain say that Barcelona have helped prepare the striker’s case since the club feels that they are also being affected by the ban; as the Uruguay international is unable to train, enter the Camp Nou or even meet his new teammates.

Since Suarez ban excludes him from nine international games, the Uruguay Football Federation are also assisting the player with his appeal. The 27-year-old striker has already served one game of that suspension when Uruguay played Colombia during the World Cup.

Prior to today’s hearing in Lausanne, all parties involved with Suarez appeal were confident of having the four-month ban reduced.

As it stands now, Suarez would be eligible to play on October 26, which would be against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu. But his legal team – which is made up of two lawyers from Barcelona, one from the Uruguayan federations and his personal lawyer – believe that the ban will be cut in half. Which would make Suarez eligible to return to training on August 25.

The lawyers argument is expected to be that the ban should be limited to international football, since the striker received his suspension while playing for Uruguay.

The CAS is expected to make a final decision on the appeal shortly after the conclusion of the hearing, with a chance of an announcement being made as early as Friday following the conclusion of the appeal.