Nuno Mendes handed three-match ban after Paris Saint-Germain red card

Paris Saint-Germain will be without Nuno Mendes for the opening three matches of their Ligue 1 campaign after the club’s disciplinary committee imposed a suspension following his dismissal against Lens in the French Super Cup.

The Portugal full-back was sent off in the closing stages of the match after catching Lens midfielder Michał Skoras with his elbow. Referee Jeremy Pignard showed Mendes a straight red card for the incident.

The French league’s disciplinary committee confirmed the three-match ban at its meeting on Wednesday. Mendes will therefore miss Paris Saint-Germain’s fixtures against Rennes, Lille and Monaco as the champions begin their Ligue 1 title defence.

The suspension is a significant early setback for Luis Enrique’s side, who have already lost the French Super Cup to Lens. That defeat came only a few days after Paris Saint-Germain had beaten Aston Villa to win the European Super Cup.

According to RMC, Paris Saint-Germain were unhappy with the wording of Pignard’s report after the match and believed his description of the incident was excessively severe.

The referee classified Mendes’ challenge as a “violent blow off the ball”. That assessment surprised the Paris Saint-Germain camp, which argued that play had already restarted when the contact occurred. The club’s view was that Mendes had been attempting to run in behind the Lens defence before being impeded by Skoras.

Those arguments did not persuade the disciplinary committee to reduce or reject the punishment, and Mendes will now serve a three-game suspension.

Mendes had entered the field shortly before the hour mark, with Paris Saint-Germain trailing 1-0. The Portugal international was unable to alter the course of the match and was dismissed late on, leaving his side to finish the contest without him.

His absence is expected to lead to a recall for France international Lucas Digne, who joined Paris Saint-Germain during the summer transfer window to provide direct cover for Mendes at left-back.

Digne started the recent match against Lens, before Mendes was introduced in the second half. With the Portuguese defender now suspended, Digne is set to return to the starting line-up for the club’s first three Ligue 1 matches.

The disciplinary ruling leaves Luis Enrique with an immediate selection decision on the left side of his defence as Paris Saint-Germain attempt to recover from their French Super Cup disappointment and make a positive start to their domestic campaign.