Bolton Wanderers have failed to overturn defender Josh Earl's red card against Accrington Stanley meaning he will now serve a one-match ban, according to the Bolton News.

The 21-year-old was sent off after 14 minutes on Saturday after referee Anthony Backhouse judged he had brought down Accrington's Dion Charles and denied him a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity.

The Trotters slumped to a 7-1 defeat at the hands of their League One rivals but had hoped that they would be able to appeal the sending off.

Wanderers argued that there was insufficient contact to warrant a foul and that Jason Lowe was in a position to be a covering defender.

However, the Bolton News has reported that the FA has upheld Earl's one-match ban, meaning he will miss Saturday's game against AFC Wimbledon.

It has been a frustrating few months for the defender, who joined on loan from Preston North End in the summer but has missed the majority of the season due to injury.

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Saturday's game was just his second since returning to the first-team and he now faces yet another game on the sidelines.

Bolton could do with all the help they can get, as their defeat to Accrington has seen them slip 15 points adrift from safety in League One.

The Verdict

Earl put in a strong performance in the 1-0 against MK Dons earlier this month and looked set to be an important part of their side moving forward, so this is undoubtedly a blow for the Trotters.

Wimbledon have also struggled this season, so Saturday's game is likely one that Keith Hill would've been targetting for three points, losing an important defensive player like Earl will likely make that win more difficult.

The most important thing for Bolton now is that they put the disappointment of the 7-1 thrashing behind them and try to get back to winning ways.