Chelsea suspension roundup: Terry ban reduced, Ivanovic won't be banned

There's good news all around this morning, as Chelsea FC fans have 2 potential suspensions that should be less of a concern going forward. First and foremost, it's been circulating this morning that Branislav Ivanovic would be escaping a suspension after his fairly ridiculous challenge in the 41st minute of yesterday's game. Sure enough, the FA did alter the rules in August of 2009 to remove friendlies from being subject to FA discipline for red cards. I guess it's a good thing the Community Shield is only a friendly.

John Terry also received some good news today, as UEFA decided to reduce his 3 match ban for kicking Alexis Sanchez. He'll now miss out on the UEFA Super Cup in addition to having sat out the final last season. He'll be eligible to play in the first game of the group stage, and UEFA discipline will not be affected by any FA ban which could be forthcoming.

Without yet seeing the group we've been drawn into, I'm not sure if I think this is a good thing or a bad thing. Obviously it's nice that we'll have Terry on the pitch in the immediate future, but I don't love the idea of having an extra game hanging out for the future should Terry earn himself another straight red. Hopefully he's just smart enough to avoid getting sent off again for dangerous conduct, as that would then likely result in a 4 game ban. I suppose that's a worry for later though, for this morning I'll just sit back and smile at the good news.