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Chelsea are set to be without Joao Pedro after he was sent off in the Champions League clash with Benfica on Tuesday night.
The Blues took the lead thanks to an own goal midway through the half. Alejandro Garnacho did well to pull back a cross into a dangerous position and Benfica defender Richard Rios could do nothing to prevent the ball from nestling in the back of the net.
In the second half, the game became more of a contest as Jose Mourinho's side pushed for an equaliser. However, a brief opportunity presented itself when Pedro was given his marching orders.
As he looked to bring down the ball, the striker's leg was considerably high. It was unclear if he made contact with Benfica's Leandro Barreiro but the referee had no hesitation in dishing out a second yellow card despite Pedro pleading his innocence.
The dismissal for Pedro means that he has been handed an automatic one-match ban. Chelsea will be unable to appeal it as that option is not available when a player receives a dismissal for a second bookable offence.
Somewhat fortunately, the Blues will not be without Pedro for the visit of Premier League leaders Liverpool on Saturday evening. This is because, unlike domestic competitions in England, suspensions do not transfer over into the immediate next match.
In serious circumstances, suspensions can move across the Champions League and Premier League but this incident was not one of them. This means Pedro can play against Arne Slot's side at the weekend.
However, he will miss the home clash with Ajax on October 22 in the Champions League. He will be available for selection in the European competition for the fourth match of the league phase away at Qarabag on November 5.
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