Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has failed with an appeal against the red card he received in Monday's match against Burnley, the Football Association has announced.
Brazilian Fernandinho was dismissed for a third time in six appearances in a match that City won 2-1 after goals from Gael Clichy and Sergio Aguero.
He was ordered off for a two-footed lunge on Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and receives a four-match ban rather than the usual three games as it was his second Premier League dismissal of the campaign.
His other red came in the Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach.
In a statement released by City, the FA said: "Fernandinho will serve a four-match suspension with immediate effect after his claim of wrongful dismissal was rejected today following an independent regulatory commission hearing."
Various incidents in the match rankled with City manager Pep Guardiola, who was in a terse mood when speaking to media afterwards.
Asked about the Fernandinho incident by the BBC, Guardiola said: "You're the journalist, not me."
Asked for his thoughts, Guardiola added: "Ask the referee, not me."
When the matter was put to him in a press conference, Guardiola attempted to change the subject.
Speaking in October, Guardiola sang the praises of Fernandinho, saying: "If a team had three Fernandinhos, they would be champions. We only have one and he is very important to us."
As City have struggled to live up to their lightning start, so too has the positive influence of 31-year-old Fernandinho faded.
He was dismissed along with team-mate Sergio Aguero late in the dying moments of the home defeat to Chelsea on December 3, and missed the games against Leicester, Watford and Arsenal.
His latest red card means Fernandinho must sit out the FA Cup third-round clash with West Ham on Friday, plus Premier League games against Everton, Tottenham and the Hammers.
City sit third in the table, well off the pace set by leaders Chelsea.
Source: PA
