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Barcelona will appeal against the yellow card shown to Gerard Pique in Saturday's win against Leganes in an attempt to enable him to play against Valencia next weekend. Barca will also try to get the booking given to Luis Suarez in the game overturned. Pique's caution, for a foul on Nordin Amrabat in the first half, was his fifth in La Liga this season, meaning he will be suspended against Valencia. Suarez, meanwhile, was booked for the third time in the league after a tangle with Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar. "FC Barcelona have decided to appeal against the yellow cards given to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez during Saturday's game," a statement on the club's official website said. "According to the referee's report, written by the official Undiano Mallenco, Pique was booked in the 29th minute for 'grabbing an opposition player who was in possession of the ball.' "As for Suarez, [he] was booked in the 52nd minute for 'impeding the goalkeeper releasing the ball when he has it under control in his hands.'" Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said after the game that he felt Mallenco's decision against Pique was harsh and could have gone the other way. "I protested the booking because Amrabat made a lot of the contact, encouraging the challenge," he said. "And because the fans were pressing [for the card]... for me it was a foul that could have been given in our favour. I'm sure the Leganes coach will think the opposite, but for me the card is excessive." If the appeal is unsuccessful, Barca will be left with Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen as their only fit central defenders at second-placed Valencia. Javier Mascherano, meanwhile, is sidelined for the next month with a hamstring injury suffered while on duty with Argentina.
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