Barcelona appeal Pique ban, Suarez yellow

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona announced on Sunday they will appeal yellow cards shown to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Leganes.

Unless his appeal is successful, Pique will miss next Sunday’s top of the table clash at Valencia.

“FC Barcelona informs that it has decided to appeal to the competition committee for the yellow cards shown to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez during the course of Leganes-FC Barcelona,” Barca said in a statement.

Pique was booked in the first half for a slight pull on Nordin Amrabat, with Barca boss Ernesto Valverde describing the yellow card as “excessive”.

Without the Spanish international, Valverde is likely to be forced into handing Thomas Vermaelen his first La Liga appearance of the season at Mestalla with Javier Mascherano out for a month due to a hamstring injury.

Suarez was booked for impeding Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar clearing the ball early in the second half, but he got his revenge by celebrating in front of Cuellar after netting his second goal of the game as the Uruguayan ended a five-game goal drought.