Ivanovic spared suspension

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will not face any suspension despite his red card in Sunday's fiery Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

Ivanovic was sent off by referee Kevin Friend near end of the first half. The Serbian caught fellow countryman Aleksandar Kolarov with a high tackle which Friend deemed worthy of a straight red card.

It was thought Ivanovic would be banned for three matches, starting with Chelsea's opening league fixture at Wigan. However, it now appears the FA changed their rules after an incident during an Amsterdam Tournament in 2006, when Manchester United pair Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off and ended up serving three-match bans.

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