Delph's appeal against ban dismissed by FA

The Villa midfielder was sent off by Martin Atkinson for a lunge on Jordi Gomez early in the second half of Sunday's goalless draw with Sunderland.

The dismissal was Delph's first in his professional career, with Villa manager Paul Lambert describing the resulting three-match suspension as excessive.

However, the sanction stands after Villa's appeal was rejected by an FA Regulatory Commission on Tuesday.

"A claim by Aston Villa that the suspension for a red card for Fabian Delph was excessive has been rejected by an FA Regulatory Commission," read a statement on the organisation's website.

"Delph was sent off for serious foul play against Sunderland on 28 December 2014. His three-match suspension will commence with immediate effect."

It means Delph will miss Premier League clashes with Crystal Palace and Leicester City as well as the visit of Blackpool in the FA Cup.