Nyon, Switzerland: Wayne Rooney will miss the entire group stage of the 2012 European Championships after being given a three-match ban by UEFA on Thursday for kicking a player in England's final qualifier.
UEFA's disciplinary panel announced the verdict after examining the England striker's kick at Montenegro defender Miodrag Dzudovic in a qualifying game last Friday.
UEFA's rule book calls for three-match bans in cases of assault, and the panel added two extra matches to a mandatory one-match ban for receiving a red card.
"The striker will now be suspended from playing in his country's next three UEFA national competition matches for which he would be eligible," UEFA said in a statement.
Rooney, who did not attend the hearing, can appeal and appear in his own defence at a later date.
England's Football Association said it would study the detailed verdict from UEFA before deciding whether to appeal.
"The FA await the full reasons from the disciplinary committee, and will give full consideration to the decision internally, before deciding on any response to UEFA," it said in a statement.
The expected appeal is likely to be heard before England find out their Euro 2012 opponents on December 2 when the draw is made in Kiev, Ukraine.
Rooney and England's Football Association wrote mitigation letters to the 10-man UEFA panel, which also weighed German match referee Wolfgang Stark's report.
Stark had praised Rooney for showing no dissent after his dismissal, and England hoped UEFA would see the offence as resulting from frustration rather than malice.
England and Rooney also hoped UEFA would impose the same two-match ban it gave Russia forward Andrei Arshavin ahead of Euro 2008.
Arshavin was sent off for violent conduct in the 84th minute of a decisive qualifier against Andorra in November 2007. Russia won 1-0 to advance ahead of England.
Arshavin sat out Russia's first two matches before leading the team to the semi-finals.
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