Source: Daily_Mail
Ban overturned: Villa keeper Friedel cleared to face Manchester United and maintain record-breaking
The red card Brad Friedel received against Liverpool has been wiped out - clearing the Aston Villa keeper to play against Manchester United after the international break.
An FA panel accepted the goalkeeper's appeal over his dismissal for a challenge on Fernando Torres, which led to a penalty at Anfield during Liverpool's 5-0 romp on Sunday.
Villa were already trailing 4-0 when Friedel was dismissed by Martin Atkinson for bringing down the Spain striker inside the area after 65 minutes.
Suspension would have brought an end to the U.S. keeper's Barclays Premier League appearance record of 182 successive games.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill felt Friedel was trying to avoid Torres rather than bring the Spain striker down and will try to get referee Martin Atkinson's decision overturned.
'I've seen the sending off from a better angle and, from Brad's point of view, I don't think he's gone out and made a deliberate attempt to upend him,' said O'Neill.
'In fact, quite the opposite. When Torres touched the ball on, Brad realised he wasn't going to get it and actually made himself smaller.
'The fact is that the referee interpreted it as a penalty and added the sending off on top of that.'
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