Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz has been suspended for three matches by UEFA after his red card against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The ban means the former Liverpool star will miss next Wednesday's highly anticipated encounter with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Colombia international was sent off in first-half stoppage time of Bayern's 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes after a challenge on Achraf Hakimi. Initially shown a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, with UEFA deeming it 'serious rough play'. Diaz had scored twice before his dismissal.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany expressed surprise at the severity of the ban, stating after the game that he did not think the challenge 'was that dangerous'. Diaz himself apologised on social media, wishing Hakimi 'a quick return to the pitch', while former Bayern star Toni Kroos argued it was 'never a red card' and that Hakimi's reaction influenced the review.
In addition to the Arsenal fixture, Diaz will be absent for Champions League matches against Sporting CP and Union Saint-Gilloise. Kompany is also hopeful that Serge Gnabry can recover from a minor injury to provide cover, with the German international expected to miss the upcoming Bundesliga match against Freiburg.
