Fuller will miss the FA Cup tie against Aston Villa

Gillingham captain Barry Fuller will miss the club's FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa through suspension.

Right-back Fuller, 24, received a straight red card two minutes from the end of their 1-1 draw with Brentford for a challenge on Sam Wood.

He now faces a three-match ban, which will include what would have been the biggest game of his career in the Cup.

"We won't be appealing. It looks worse than when it first happened," manager Mark Stimson told BBC Radio Kent.

"Some of the appeals this season we haven't got away with and this one looks unlikely. We probably won't bother."

Fuller will also miss the Christmas league games against Dagenham & Redbridge and Wycombe.

Stimson added: "Our back four is really going to be tested in those two league games. The lad is distraught.

"We said 'did you have to tackle? Was it life or death? Was he about to score the winning goal?' Their player was not in the position to hurt us."

Of the club's two players who could play at right-back, Nicky Southall is cup-tied having already played for Dover in the FA Cup and Sean Clohessy has agreed to extend his loan spell at Blue Square Premier side Salisbury City.

Mark Bentley will also miss the game against Wycombe after collecting his fifth booking of the season.

There is commentary of Dagenham & Redbridge v Gillingham on 26 December and Gillingham v Aston Villa on 4 January on BBC Radio Kent.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version