West Ham striker Andy Carroll has failed to overturn his red card against Swansea on Saturday after the Football Association dismissed his appeal.
The 25-year-old was sent off after clashing with Swans defender Chico Flores during his side’s 2-0 win.
He will now miss the Hammers’ Premier League games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton.
In apparent reaction to the decision, Carroll, who set up both goals on Saturday, tweeted: “Disgraceful.”
According to the FA, West Ham failed to prove to a three-man panel that referee Howard Webb had made “an obvious error” in dismissing Carroll after the forward’s arm hit Flores’s forehead.
However, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was certain that Webb made a mistake.
“There has to be somebody to look at that in the cold light of day and say that is certainly not a red card,” he said on Saturday.
Allardyce refused to comment on Flores’s reaction to the challenge, although several of his players protested at the time that the Spaniard had exaggerated the contact made by Carroll.
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup said the decision was “a bit harsh”.
Carroll, who has made only five appearances this season and is yet to score after a lengthy recovery from injury, will now be available for the trip to Everton on 1 March.
With Modibo Maiga loaned out to QPR, West Ham’s striking options are limited to on-loan Italian Marco Borriello and Carlton Cole.
West Ham are 18th in the Premier League, one point from safety.
