Robbie Fowler has dropped plans to appeal against the six-match ban imposed on him by the English Football Association.

The Liverpool striker, following discussions with the FA, will be allowed to serve the whole ban this season. He will lead Liverpool's attack at home to Aston Villa today and then sit out the last six games of the campaign.

Fowler was handed a two-match ban for his bust-up with Graeme Le Saux and a four-match ban for pretending to snort cocaine while celebrating a goal against Everton.

Fowler's ban will now start with Wednesday's home game against Leicester and include the following five games against Blackburn, Tottenham, Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon.

But Fowler issued a statement through legal advisor Kevin Dooley saying his treatment by the FA was "unjustified and harsh". "For some time he has been subjected to the vile taunts that he takes drugs. His unplanned reaction to those taunts during the Everton game led him to mock the fans who were taunting him."

The FA's willingness to allow the ban to start from next Tuesday has clearly persuaded Fowler to drop his appeal to help Liverpool and avoid missing any matches next term.

It was a compromise that Liverpool wanted, so that the Merseysiders would have him available from the beginning of next season and not serving two matches of a ban that was to start on April 26th.

If Fowler had gone ahead with his appeal, everything would have been put on hold and he might have had to serve all six matches next term.