Premiership: Smith's England hopes hit by ban

Leeds striker Alan Smith’s impending five-match ban has jeopardised his chances of playing for England in this summer’s World Cup.

Smith today failed in an appeal hearing at York to have the sixth red card of his highly-controversial career overturned and will not return to Premiership action until March 3.

The Football Association’s video advisory panel agreed with referee Andy D’Urso’s decision in dismissing Smith for violent conduct during the shock FA Cup third-round defeat at Cardiff 11 days ago.

The four-match suspension was upheld, with the 21-year-old also incurring a further automatic one-match ban for picking up his fifth booking of the season in the 3-1 loss at Newcastle on Saturday.

Smith will now be sidelined for this Sunday’s Elland Road showdown with Arsenal, as well as games against Chelsea, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Charlton, although he will be eligible to play in the UEFA Cup ties with PSV Eindhoven on February 21 and 28.

His prospects, though, of being selected for the England squad to face Holland in a friendly in Rotterdam next month are now virtually non-existent, further reducing his hopes of figuring in coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans for the World Cup finals.

By the time England play the Dutch on February 13, Smith will have been a frustrated onlooker for a month, and will not be physically match sharp for such a prestige game.

When he eventually returns to league action against Everton in early March, he will then have just two months to force his way not only into the reckoning at Elland Road, but also for England.

Smith gave Eriksson a sharp reminder of his ability at Newcastle as he returned to the front line, due to the absence of Robbie Fowler whose father-in-law had passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning, to score the fastest Premiership goal of the season.

Prior to that, Smith had been playing out of position in midfield due to the injury crisis at Leeds which is expected to have eased considerably by the time he returns to the fold.

It is unlikely Smith will then break up the currently in-form Mark Viduka/Fowler partnership, except in the UEFA Cup as the £11m capture from Liverpool will be ineligible.

But time will certainly not be on Smith’s side as Eriksson will name an initial 30-man squad for the World Cup at the end of April before trimming it to a final 23 by a May 21 deadline.

Smith would at least hope to be included for the friendly with Italy on his home ground of Elland Road on March 27, while another friendly date has been pencilled in for April, with Paraguay the possible opponents.

His disciplinary record - five red cards for Leeds and the other at England Under-21 level - combined with his suspect temperament also count against him.

The video advisory panel took just 10 minutes to deliberate their verdict, ignoring the claims of Cardiff defender Andy Legg that ‘‘there was no malice or intent’’ on Smith’s part when caught by a flailing forearm, and instead siding with D’Urso.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale, who had been present at the hearing at the Royal York hotel along with secretary Ian Silvester and director of communications David Walker, was clearly unhappy with the outcome.

In issuing the briefest of statements, Ridsdale said: ‘‘It was a fair hearing, but they (the panel) have not changed the decision.’’

In light of Leeds’ injury crisis, with seven players still on the sidelines and with high-profile games approaching, the panel’s verdict is the latest bitter blow for boss David O’Leary.

O’Leary will be hoping this is not the first in an unwanted hat-trick of FA rulings to harm the club’s bid for a top-four finish this season, and with it a place in next season’s Champions League.

Midfielder Lee Bowyer and defender Danny Mills both face personal FA hearings on February 5 into separate charges of misconduct.

Bowyer could be banned for six matches if found guilty of elbowing Gary McAllister in last season’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Liverpool and of using foul and abusive language against referee Jeff Winter following his dismissal against Arsenal in August.

Mills, facing a four-match ban after being sent off against Newcastle for stupidly kicking Craig Bellamy, faces an extra three-match suspension if he fails to win his own appeal into using foul and abusive language against fourth official D’Urso in the same volatile Highbury clash.