Arsenal are to fight to prevent strikers Dennis Bergkamp and Jose Antonio Reyes from a potentially crippling seven-match suspension. Before leaving for Munich, Arsenal appealed against Bergkamp’s sending off, against Sheffield United on Saturday, and reacted to a Football Association charge against Reyes last night by confirming they will appeal against a charge of violent conduct.Bergkamp was dismissed in the FA Cup tie for pushing Sheffield United’s Danny Cullip. He faces a three-match ban if the FA uphold Neale Barry’s decision, plus a possible fourth game punishment for his reluctance to leave the Highbury pitch.In the same incident Reyes was clearly shown to slap Cullip in the face and also faces a three-match suspension. If Arsenal’s appeals fail — Bergkamp’s will be heard later on Tuesday and Reyes’s hearing is on Thursday — both players would miss Saturday’s trip to Southampton, the FA Cup fifth round replay at Bramall Lane and the home visit of Portsmouth.In addition, Bergkamp could also be absent from the FA Cup quarter-final at Bolton, if Arsenal win at Sheffield United.Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, urged the FA to use ‘‘common sense’’ when considering the appeal against Bergkamp’s red card, believing that the incident was a reaction to an alleged stamp by Cullip on Cesc Fabregas.(The Daily Telegraph)
