Zlatan faces two-game ban for red card

Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain will be without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for their next two league games after the fiery Swedish international was handed a two-game ban on Wednesday.

• Zlatan serves up four assists in PSG win (7 Nov 12)
• 'You ain't seen nothing yet': Ibrahimovic (11 Oct 12)

31-year-old Ibrahimovic - who is the leading scorer in the league with 10 goals - was slapped with the ban by the Professional Football League's disciplinary commission for his red card last Saturday for a rash challenge on St Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

"I don't think it should have been a red card, he was watching the ball, " said PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti after the season's first league loss, according to the Aftonbladet newspaper.

The suspension will see him miss this Sunday's clash at champions Montpellier and the home match with Nice a week later.

PSG lead Marseille only on goal difference - with their bitter rivals having a game in hand - after they slipped to their first defeat of the campaign, 2-1 at home to St Etienne, and Marseille won 2-0 away at Ajaccio in last weekend's action.

"Zlatan didn't talk to anyone after the game, he was disappointed," said Ancelotti according to the paper.

Former international player Robert Pires, who is a football expert on French TV, said after the game that one of the problems that PSG faces is that the team relies to much on Ibrahimovic to carry the game and that the team members fear him.

"They fear his reaction. That he will shout at them for not passing the ball. It isn't just the opposition that fears Ibrahimovic but also his team mates - which isn't good for the team," Pires said, according to Aftonbladet.