Brighton defender Pascal Struijk will be available for this weekend's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace after the Football Association overturned his red card against Sunderland.
The dismissal was rescinded following a successful appeal by Brighton, who argued that the decision to send off the Dutch defender for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity amounted to wrongful dismissal.
Struijk was shown a straight red card in the 57th minute of Saturday's 2-0 victory at the Stadium of Light after a VAR review of his challenge on Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor.
Referee Thomas Bramall and his assistant had initially allowed play to continue, but VAR official Neil Davies recommended an on-field review. After examining the footage, Bramall ruled that Struijk had fouled Isidor as the Sunderland forward attempted to reach a through-ball.
The decision sparked disbelief among Brighton's players, who were already leading through Maxim De Cuyper's second-half goal. The Seagulls were forced to defend with 10 men for the remainder of the contest before Jaouen Hadjam sealed the win in stoppage time.
The FA's decision to overturn the dismissal means Struijk will not serve the expected one-match suspension and is eligible to face Crystal Palace.
The incident had attracted criticism because of the subjective nature of the decision, particularly whether Isidor was sufficiently likely to reach the ball to qualify as an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The referee's original decision not to award a foul had also raised questions about the threshold for VAR intervention.
Struijk joined Brighton from Leeds United in a reported £20m summer transfer and was making his second Premier League start for the club when the incident occurred.
The defender's availability will be welcome news for Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler as his side seek to maintain their strong start to the campaign. Brighton sit third in the Premier League table, five points behind leaders Manchester City.
Their victory over Sunderland demonstrated their ability to manage a difficult away fixture, but the overturned red card ensures that the result will also be remembered for a contentious refereeing decision and the appeal that followed.
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