Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho 'asked UEFA for 30-day ban'

UEFA's chief medical and doping officer Marc Vouillamoz has claimed that Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days at the player's own request.

Sakho failed a drugs test in March after testing positive for a fat-burning substance, with his subsequent provisional suspension seeing him miss the club's Europa League run-in.

However, it has since been reported that the substance was not on the banned list after all, with speculation claiming that the France international and Liverpool could sue UEFA for the mix-up.

"Some substances cause an automatic suspension, others not. And in this case, the player wished to be suspended temporarily, of his own will, and UEFA acceded to his request," Vouillamoz told L'Equipe.

"To my knowledge, the disciplinary committee will decide fairly quickly on the case. Information was taken from experts, documents were passed to the defence of the player.

"Now the player has the opportunity to speak, and once the player has given its opinion, the Commission will look very quickly on the case."

Sakho had initially been expected to be banned for at least six months.