Wilshere to serve two-match ban

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will serve a a two-game suspension for an abusive hand gesture. The 21-year-old had admitted a Football Association charge but contested the mandatory length of ban. An independent regulatory commission rejected his appeal after a hearing on Thursday. Television pictures appeared to show Wilshere raising a finger towards the crowd during Saturday's 6-3 defeat by Manchester City. The incident went unnoticed by match officials but was caught on video and asseed by the FA retrospectively. An FA statement said: "Whilst admitting the charge, Wilshere claimed the standard sanction for this offence was clearly excessive. "The commission rejected this claim and the two match suspension will commence with immediate effect."