Will Ecuador be without their star for the World Cup opener? FIFA asked to overturn Chelsea star's ban

The Chelsea midfielder was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in their final continental qualifier against Argentina.

This September red card means he's set to miss the opening World Cup match against Ivory Coast on June 14th. However, according to AFP, the local federation has already appealed to have the suspension overturned. Beccacece believes this would be the right decision.

"I'm not sure about the current status, but in my opinion, it would be fair. In similar situations, it would be better if he served the suspension during a qualifying match; that seems most logical to me. The people at FIFA understand football. We'll see if my intuition proves correct," commented the 45-year-old Argentinian.

Ecuador navigated the qualifiers with a record of 8 wins, 8 draws, and only two losses. This marks their second consecutive World Cup appearance, where they will face Germany and Curaçao in Group E. On Friday, they are scheduled to play a friendly match against Morocco in Madrid.