Hammers overturn Kouyate ban

West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate's one-match suspension for being sent off against Blackburn Rovers has been overturned after the Premier League club appealed successfully against his red card.

The Senegal international was sent off 15 minutes from time in West Ham's 5-1 FA Cup win away to Blackburn on Sunday for clipping Rovers' Adam Henley.

Kouyate was deemed to have denied Henley a clear goalscoring opportunity but the Hammers felt the decision was harsh, with co-chairman David Gold tweeting on Monday: "The Blackburn player wasn't going to get the ball anyway so he wasn't denied a goalscoring opportunity."

West Ham's appeal was upheld on Tuesday and the 26-year-old will be available for the Premier League match against Sunderland at Upton Park on Saturday, West Ham's next fixture, without first having to serve a suspension.

"Cheikhou Kouyate's one-match suspension for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity has been withdrawn with immediate effect following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing," said a Football Association statement.

"West Ham United's claim of wrongful dismissal in relation to their Emirates FA Cup fifth-round proper tie against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday 21 February 2016 was upheld."

The east London club's reward for beating Rovers was a quarter-final away to top-flight rivals Manchester United, who interrupted a poor run of form with a 3-0 win away to third-tier Shrewsbury on Monday.