Pascal Struijk cleared for Crystal Palace after Brighton win red-card appeal

Pascal Struijk will be available for Brighton's Premier League match against Crystal Palace this weekend after the red card he received at Sunderland was overturned. BBC Sport reported on Wednesday that Brighton's claim of wrongful dismissal had succeeded, removing the one-match suspension that would otherwise have kept the defender out of the fixture.

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The dismissal followed a second-half incident involving Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. According to BBC Sport, referee Thomas Bramall and his assistant initially allowed play to continue without awarding a foul. Video assistant referee Neil Davies then recommended a review, and Bramall watched replays at the pitchside monitor before sending Struijk off.

The Premier League's published account of the incident recorded the review in the 57th minute. Its Match Centre explanation said the dismissal was for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, with a direct free-kick also awarded to Sunderland. That account described the officials' decision during the match; the subsequent successful appeal means the red card will no longer carry the planned suspension.

Brighton still won 2-0 despite having to finish with 10 players. The club's match report identified Maxim De Cuyper and substitute Jaouen Hadjam as the scorers, with both goals coming after half-time. Pascal Gross supplied the pass for De Cuyper's opener, finding his run down the left before the Belgian finished inside the near post to put the visitors ahead.

Fabian Hurzeler responded to the dismissal by introducing Lewis Dunk. Brighton's report said Bart Verbruggen pushed away a Granit Xhaka free-kick as Sunderland sought a response. The visitors then added their second in stoppage time: Georginio Rutter found Hadjam, who advanced into the penalty area and scored on his Premier League debut after coming off the bench late in the game.

For Struijk, the appeal removes an immediate interruption to his early Brighton career. BBC Sport reported that the Sunderland game was only his second Premier League start since joining from Leeds in the summer. Brighton sit third, five points behind leaders Manchester City, and can now include the defender in their selection plans for Palace without the one-game ban.