Fernando Forestieri slapped with three-match Football Association ban for violent conduct in Mansfield '˜friendly'

The 28-year-old admitted a Football Association violent conduct charge and will miss the Owls' Championship matches against Stoke City, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa after the international break. He will next be available for selection against Leeds United on Friday September 28.

Forestieri appeared to throw a punch at Stags midfielder Calum Butcher following the final whistle of the July 24 warm-up match. The former Watford man was also assaulted himself in the melee that followed, taking a blow to the head from another member of the Mansfield side as tempers boiled over.

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Stags midfielder Jaco Mellis has also received a three-match ban after appearing to strike Owls skipper Tom Lees in the contretemps in the post-match fracas before stewards moved in to separate the two warring parties.

A Football Association spokesman said: "Mansfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday have been fined £3,000 and £20,000 respectively after both clubs admitted an FA misconduct charge of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative and/or violent behaviour. 

"It follows an incident in the 88th minute of their game on 24 July 2018.

'Furthermore, Wednesday's Fernando Forestieri and Mansfield's Jacob Mellis have each been suspended for three matches with immediate effect and fined £25,000 and £1,500 respectively after admitting an FA misconduct charge in relation to the same incident at the end of this game.'

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