Atletico Madrid have been given a boost ahead of their upcoming Champions League tie against Chelsea with the news that Kieran Trippier's ban for breaching gambling rules has been put on hold.
The defender was handed a 10-week ban by the FA effective immediately after being found guilty of betting offences relating to his exit from Spurs to Atletico in 2019.
The defender states that he did not bet on or benefit personally from bets placed on a potential transfer.
Atletico were told by Fifa on Saturday that the England international will be allowed to play while the Spanish club prepare an appeal, which will first go to Fifa and then the Court of Arbitration for Sport if necessary.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone said the punishment was "completely unjust" after the club were not involved in the investigation or notified of any progress.
The 10-week ban would have meant Trippier missing a minimum of 13 Atletico games including the Champions League round of 16 ties against Chelsea, while coming at a time that would not involve him missing a call-up to the England side due to the international calendar.
"Personally, I think it's a suspension that is disproportionate for the player and totally unjust for Atletico," said Atleti CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin.
"How can it be possible that the party that is most negatively effected by this is Atletico, which hasn't played any part in the process?
"If the player has committed an infraction that does not have any effect on the competition, how can it be Atletico is the one punished by this?
"The fact that the FA has punished the player by preventing him from playing against Chelsea, and that the ban just happens to finish just as the England national team is scheduled to play a competitive game, makes you think all sorts of things about the integrity of the competition and the ethics of a football association with a long history."
The first clash between the two sides is scheduled to take place in Madrid at the end of February, before a meeting back at Stamford Bridge midway through March.
Simeone's side finished second in their group behind reigning champions Bayern Munich, while Frank Lampard's team topped their group ahead of Sevilla.
