Luis Suarez is facing a dilemma over an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his four-month biting ban as to whether he should ask his sanction to be put on hold until the outcome of the case.

FIFA yesterday rejected outright an appeal by Suarez and the Uruguay football federation (AUF) against his sanctions for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez can now make a further appeal to CAS and can also ask the court to suspend the ban pending a final decision. CAS may refuse to do so, but if agreed it could mean Suarez could be available at the start of the domestic season.

The downside, however, is that if CAS puts the ban on hold, it means that instead of Suarez being banned for a month of the close season, he would instead face being out for even longer when the season starts.