Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard was banned for three matches by the Football Association on Monday after his two-footed tackle on Everton's Gary Naysmith in December.

Gerrard had denied the violent conduct charge, which followed his lunge during a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on December 22, saying he had not intended to hurt the Scottish international defender.

However, at a hearing at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium on Monday he was found guilty of violent conduct and given an immediate suspension. He was not fined.

Gerrard has recently returned to top form after an early-season slump but the ban will rule him out of Wednesday's FA Cup fourth round replay with first division Crystal Palace, Saturday's home premier league game against Middlesbrough and the away league game at Birmingham on February 23.

It will also keep him out of England's friendly against Australia on February 12 if Sven Goran Eriksson sticks to his policy of not selecting players serving a domestic ban.

The incident, when Gerrard landed with both feet on the thigh of the prostrate Naysmith, was not seen by referee Graham Poll and he escaped punishment at the time.

Several of Naysmith's team mates did see it, however, leading to a bout of pushing and shoving as they remonstrated angrily with the England player.

APOLOGISED

Gerrard said after the match that he had apologised to Naysmith and that he had been trying to avoid him. However, television pictures, shown repeatedly in the following days, did little to support that claim.

Gerrard attended Monday's hearing with manager Gerard Houllier and club chief executive Rick Parry, and also had backing from the players' union, but their case failed to impress the three-man FA disciplinary committee.

"We are very disappointed with the verdict," Houllier told reporters after the hearing.

"If I had the slightest hint that he was guilty of anything I would not have tried to defend him.

"As I have said before, it was a mistimed tackle. Something that happens in football, a collision.

"He has been playing well but we won't let things destroy us and we will overcome this," added the Frenchman.