Connor Wickham Suspended 3 Matches: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham has been banned for three games by the Football Association due to violent conduct.

News of the sanction came on Friday via the FA’s official website. The punishment has been handed out after an incident involving the forward and Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen during the meeting between the sides on January 23. 

The ban comes into effect immediately, meaning Wickham will be unavailable for the Eagles’ FA Cup tie with Stoke City on Saturday.

The forward, who signed for Palace from Sunderland in the summer, appeared to swing an elbow in the direction of the Belgium international during the London derby, which was won by Spurs 3-1.

MailOnline Sport provided us with an image of the incident:

For Palace manager Alan Pardew, this suspension comes at the worst possible time, with his side already struggling at the point of the attack.

Vertonghen actually turned the ball into his own net during the game against Spurs, as we seen below courtesy of OptaJoe. Prior to that, Palace had long been toothless in their forward forays:

Although Wickham hasn’t been prolific since his summer move, scoring just one goal in the Premier League, he can be a strong foil for the Eagles’ other attacking talents. Indeed, his ability to rough up defenders, hold up the ball and dominate in the air will be missed against the Potters and subsequent matches against Bournemouth and Swansea City.

Jan Kruger/Getty Images

The Eagles boss signed veteran striker Emmanuel Adebayor in an attempt to solve his woes up front. With Wickham missing, the much maligned Togolese will have to hit the ground running if Palace are to move up the Premier League table.