Mexico winger Hirving Lozano will miss PSV's next three matches after his suspension was upheld, the KNVB announced Friday.
Lozano was sent off in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Heerenveen for making contact with defender Lucas Woudenberg's face. With the disciplinary committee taking Lozono's earlier red card this season, which also came against Heenrenveen, into account, it upheld the sanction.
That means Lozano will miss the next three matches across all competitions for PSV, putting him out for league contests against Feyenoord, Utrecht and Willem II. There is a fourth match included in the ban, but it is conditional, putting him on a one-year probation period.
Lozano leads the Eredivisie in scoring with 13 goals since moving to Europe from Pachuca this past summer. PSV manager Phillip Cocu said he found the suspension harsh but had to deal with the situation and focus on the matches to stay atop the table.
"We are not looking for excuses," Cocu said Friday in a news conference. "I think you come across a situation like this every once in a while and we have to cope with it. Another player will now get a chance to shine."
Lozano's hot start and continued success reportedly has drawn the attention of larger teams, with the 22-year-old linked to the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham. Lozano has said his goal is to play alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona, but even if that dream can't come true it's likely he will move on after just one season in the Netherlands.
As Lozano's influence has grown with PSV, he's also become more critical for the Mexico. El Tri manager Juan Carlos Osorio, currently in Europe to observe players and study other coaches' methods, will note that "Chucky" will now have just one match before March's friendly matches against Iceland and Croatia.
