Fresh blow for Liverpool as Skrtel fails in De Gea stamp appeal

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has failed in his bid to overturn a three-match suspension for standing on Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

The defender was charged on the basis of video evidence after referee Martin Atkinson missed the incident in the last seconds of Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Anfield.

Skrtel chased a through-ball as 10-man Liverpool searched for a late equaliser, but De Gea slid in to get there first and the defender continued his run and stood on the goalkeeper's right shin.

The Slovakia international appealed to an independent panel sitting in judgement on the matter, claiming that his action was accidental and not intentional.

However, a three-man panel of former elite officials reviewed the footage independently of each other and unanimously agreed the offence warranted a red card. Despite Skrtel's protestations, a ban will now be imposed on the 30-year-old centre-back.

Skrtel will serve an immediate suspension, meaning he misses league games away at Arsenal and home to Newcastle either side of the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Championship side Blackburn.

It is a serious blow to Liverpool, particularly with Steven Gerrard also suspended for three games after his red card during the match - a dismissal which came just 40 seconds after his introduction as a second-half substitute.

Martin Skrtel has been an ever-present part of Liverpool's side this season, and his superb recent form has been central to Liverpool's resurgence of late.

That run of form ended with the defeat at Anfield, however - and the psychological blow of losing both the match and Skrtel and Gerrard for three games could easily rob the Reds of their momentum.

And while Gerrard has increasingly been a bit-part player for Brendan Rodgers' side, Skrtel has been anything but: he has been Liverpool's best defender in every single statistical category of note.

Worse, the man who will probably replace him in the line-up is Dejan Lovren, who has struggled throughout the season.

Liverpool will struggle badly without a man who has become as critical to their chances this season as anyone on the pitch. Prior to Sunday, Liverpool had conceded just two goals in their previous seven matches - a defensive effort on which they had built what seemed a serious challenge for the Champions League spots.

More than that, however, they had a vast amount of momentum: Liverpool hadn't lost in the league since playing United at Old Trafford on December 14th, winning 10 and drawing three of those matches.

Mere defeat might have been easy enough to bounce back from - but with key men missing and tough league games coming up against Arsenal and Newcastle either side of their FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn, they will need to dig very deep indeed to keep their season from falling apart.