Rangers tonight had their appeal against Michael Mols' midweek sending-off against Celtic rejected. And that means the Dutchman remains suspended for Sunday's make-or-break league clash with their Old Firm rivals.
The champions moved swiftly to try to get the red card overturned but Scottish Football Association officials were unmoved after watching a video re-run of the incident.
Mols had been dismissed for his part in a melee following the sending-off of team-mate Claudio Reyna in the final minute of Celtic's CIS Insurance Cup semi-final victory at Hampden Park.
His sparring partner Lubo Moravcik was also red-carded and all three must now sit out Sunday's Celtic Park clash.
An SFA spokesman said today: "Rangers today submitted an appeal for wrongful dismissal against the sending-off of Michael Mols in the CIS Insurance Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
"In accordance with the SFA disciplinary procedures, a claim for wrongful dismissal for serious foul play or violent conduct must be submitted by the player's club to the Association within four days of the match, together with the particulars upon which the claim is founded.
"The procedures state that if the chairman of the disciplinary committee and the chief executive of the SFA are not satisfied that the claim warrants further investigation, the referee's decision and the sanction will remain.
"Jim Oliver, chairman of the disciplinary committee, and David Taylor, chief executive, today reviewed video footage of the incident in question.
"Their opinion was that the referee's decision to dismiss Michael Mols for violent conduct was correct, and the sanction therefore stands."
The statement added: "This decision is final and binding and is not subject to appeal." PA