AC Milan’s Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the top of the table clash with Serie A leaders Juventus on February 25 after he was suspended for three matches on Monday.

The volatile Swede – who has scored 15 times this season and lies second in the Serie A scorers list – received the ban for slapping Napoli player Salvatore Aronica in the face during Sunday’s 0-0 draw for which he was red carded.

AC Milan – who are second, a point behind Juve but having played a game more – said they will appeal the ruling by the Italian League’s Disciplinary Commission.

‘Ibra’ has a chequered disciplinary record in Italy – last season he was sent off two matches in a row while seven years ago, when he was playing for Juventus, he missed a title-deciding match with Milan because he was serving a suspension.

He was suspended after headbutting Inter Milan’s combative Serbian Sinisa Mihajlovic and then hit the latter’s Inter team-mate Ivan Cordoba.