Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has been ruled out of the first leg of his side's Champions League last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain after UEFA opted to uphold his suspension for deliberately picking up a booking.
The Spaniard was shown a yellow card for time-wasting in stoppage time of Madrid's 6-0 win over APOEL in the group stages in November - his third booking of that phase of the competition.
The automatic one-game ban meant that Carvajal would miss Madrid's final group game - by which point they had already qualified - but would ordinarily enable him to return for the last 16 without the risk of further suspension during the knockout stages of the tournament.
However, in December UEFA ruled that Carvajal's antics breached its disciplinary regulations and extended the suspension by a further game, ruling him out of the first leg against PSG.
The defending champions appealed that ban, but UEFA has now confirmed that it has rejected that appeal.
"The appeal lodged by Real Madrid CF has been dismissed and the UEFA CEDB's decision of December 7 is confirmed," read a statement from UEFA.
"Given that Carvajal did not participate in the match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund played on December 6, 2017, the player still has to serve one UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible."
Madrid will face PSG in the first leg at the Bernabeu on February 14, before travelling to Paris for the return on March 6.
Barney Corkhill
