Stoke defender Robert Huth will serve a three-game ban after his appeal against a red card received during Saturday’s home clash with Sunderland was rejected by a disciplinary panel.

Huth was sent off by referee Martin Atkinson after 45 minutes of the 1-0 Premier League defeat at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday for a challenge on Blacks Cats midfielder David Meyler.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis appealed against the dismissal after claiming there was “no intent” in Huth’s challenge and that he “was nowhere near the Sunderland player.”

But a Football Association statement said on Tuesday: “An independent regulatory commission has today dismissed the claim of wrongful dismissal of Stoke City’s Robert Huth.

“The defender will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect following his red card for serious foul play in the game with Sunderland on February 4.”

Huth will now miss two league games, at Fulham this weekend and the home match with Swansea on February 26, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round encounter at Crawley on February 19.

But he will be eligible to play in Stoke’s two-legged Europa League tie with Valencia on February 16 and 23.