'The FA has committed a serious injustice' - Torreira and Godin show support for Cavani following racism charge

Lucas Torreira and Diego Godin have shown their support for Edinson Cavani following his ban for racism, with the pair posting a copy of a statement from the Uruguay Player Association (A.F.U.) which slams the English FA for committing a "serious injustice".

Manchester United striker Cavani was hit with a three-match suspension and a £100,000 fine last week after being found guilty of misconduct following allegations of racism.

The 33-year-old responded to a congratulatory message from a friend on Instagram back in November with the phrase "Gracias negrito", and he accepted the FA's charge of using insulting and/or improper words.

Cavani also took to social media to explain himself after being sanctioned, insisting his comment was misconstrued and that he was merely expressing affection towards an acquaintance.

Spanish language experts have since confirmed that the United star's words were taken out of context, and the Uruguay national team has also come out in his defence on Monday.

"Firstly, we must condemn the arbitrary conduct of the English Football Association. Far from condemning racism, the English FA has itself committed a discriminatory act against the culture and the way of life of the Uruguayan people," a statement released by the A.F.U. reads.

"Edinson Cavani has never committed any conduct that could be interpreted as racist. We would therefore like to publicly defend Edinson Cavani's impeccable character and of course our country's culture.

"We request the FA to immediately overturn the sanction imposed on Edinson Cavani and reinstate his good name and honour in the world that has been so unfairly tarnished by this reprehensible decision."

Arsenal loanee Lucas Torreira and Cagliari defender Diego Godin, who both play alongside Cavani at international level, have shared copies of the press release on their official Twitter pages.

As it stands, United will have to make do without their talismanic forward in both of their next domestic fixtures, with the first game of his suspension already served on Friday.

Cavani sat out the Red Devils' 2-1 home win over Aston Villa, and will also be unavailable for their Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City and FA Cup third round tie against Watford over the next five days.