Christophe Berra punishment stands following appeal

Christophe Berra will miss Raith Rovers’ next two fixtures after the red card shown to the defender against Partick Thistle was upheld.

Berra, 36, was given his marching orders by referee Steven Kirkland on Saturday following a collision with Jags attacker Zak Rudden.

Rovers were adamant the former Hearts and Scotland ace attempted to pull out of the challenge. They formally submitted an appeal on Monday morning.

However, the Fifers’ case was badly hampered by the foggy conditions hindering visibility on their video footage.

The fast-track hearing took place over Zoom yesterday morning and it was deemed that insufficient exonerating evidence was presented – so the punishment stands.

The referee’s report stated that Berra was dismissed for serious foul play, which carries a mandatory two-match suspension.

As such, he will be absent for the Rovers’ Boxing Day showdown with Ayr United and the subsequent game against Queen of the South on December 29.

The experienced stopper will be back in contention for the crunch Fife derby against Dunfermline on January 2.

In more heartening news for Raith fans, boss John Mcglynn is hopeful of having several key players back for Sunday’s clash with the Honest Men.

The 1-0 reverse against Partick Thistle was played out with a vastly depleted Rovers side, with Mcglynn unable to field a recognised striker due to injury and illness.

They had just three outfield players on the bench.

Mcglynn told Courier Sport: “We are hoping to have some of those absentees back on Sunday – the fact it is Sunday rather than Saturday has helped us. That extra 24 hours could prove important.”

Rovers, without the likes of Ethon Varian, Matej Poplatnik and Tom Lang, were far from the only side to field a weakened starting 11 over the weekend.

Dundee United posted five positive Covid tests and played out a gutsy 1-0 defeat against Rangers with a host of youngsters.

Arbroath defeated Morton without a swathe of regular starters and their management team of Dick and Ian Campbell.

With daily testing once again mandated for the moment, this is likely to be a recurring theme.

“You would be incredibly fortunate as a football club to get through this period without selection challenges,” added Mcglynn.

“When you look at the devastation to the fixture list in England, I was quite surprised so many games went ahead in Scotland on Saturday.

“It’s something that we will need to live with, deal with and try to ensure we have enough players to cater for it.”

Christophe Barra has a two-match suspension.