Blues ace avoids ban

Chelsea have been boosted by the news defender Branislav Ivanovic will not face a suspension following his sending off.

Ivanovic picked up a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov during Sunday's Community Shield defeat, a punishment that usually carries a three-match ban. That would have meant the defender missing the opening three games of the new season, starting with the trip to Wigan this Saturday, but thankfully the rule in pre-season no longer stands. 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 against Porto and ended up serving three-match bans. Ivanovic is now free to start at the DW Stadium much to the relief of the player and boss Roberto Di Matteo.