Winger Luke Gambin will miss Malta’s upcoming 2018 World Cup Group F qualifiers away to England and Lithuania after receiving a two-match suspension from FIFA following his stoppage-time dismissal in the opening 5-1 home defeat to Scotland on September 4.

Gambin was given a straight red card for lashing out at Scotland midfielder Robert Snodgrass after the two had been involved in an abrasive challenge.

His sending-off triggered an automatic one-match suspension but the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed an additional one-match ban on Gambin, thus ruling him out of the World Cup clash with England at Wembley, on October 8, and the game against Lithuania three days later.

The 23-year-old was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (€4,600) and ordered to pay an extra 1,000 Swiss francs (€920) for the costs of the proceedings. As is the norm, these financial penalties are to be paid by the MFA.

Gambin is not the only Malta player who will have to sit out the England qualifier as Jonathan Caruana must serve a one-match ban for his unjust dismissal in the Scotland defeat.

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