Albion will be without Jamie Murphy for the next three matches after the club's appeal against the Scottish winger's red card at Bolton was rejected by the FA.

Boss Chris Hughton has branded the verdict "very hard to understand" and "incredibly harsh".

A disciplinary panel at Wembley backed referee Mark Haywood's decision to dismiss Murphy for the first time in his 333-game career, despite Albion claiming he slipped before making contact with Bolton's Neil Danns.

The Seagulls used evidence in their submission of other players also slipping on the heavily watered pitch at the Macron Stadium during Saturday's 2-2 draw.

Hughton said: "I find it very hard to understand. I was very confident our appeal would get the decision we felt and still feel now would be the right decision.

"It seems incredibly harsh for a lad that has never been sent-off before in a challenge where you can see there is no intent or nothing malicious.

"He slipped, as did many players on the day on what was a very good pitch, slippy in some areas.

"There was no obvious intent, no strong contact apart from sweeping the lad (Danns) away, no studs up, no legs raised.

"I find it very hard to understand why it hasn't been overturned and I think to miss three games for that is incredibly harsh."

Murphy's upheld ban compounds the absence of injured left-winger Kazenga LuaLua (groin) against Cardiff at the Amex on Saturday, at Leeds on October 17 and at home to Bristol City three days later.

The next game Murphy will be available for is at home to Preston on October 24.