Premier League stars set to miss CRUCIAL World Cup qualifying games in June after bans upheld following melee with fans during Copa America semi-final

Darwin Nunez and Rodrigo Bentancur are among the Uruguay players who have failed in their bid to overturn bans for clashing with fans in the stands after last year's Copa America semi-final defeat to Colombia. Nunez has been served a five-match ban and Bentancur will miss four matches, meaning both will be absent for June's games against Paraguay and Venezuela.

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez and Napoli defender Matias Oliveira have also been handed suspensions after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed appeals by the players and the Uruguayan Soccer Federation.

The players claimed they acted in defence of their families during the incident at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte last July, but their case has not been strong enough.

Uruguay are still in a very strong position to qualify for the World Cup, Marcelo Bielsa's side sitting third in the CONMEBOL league table, six points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela. The top six teams qualify automatically.