Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand will deny a charge of violent conduct. The 31-year-old will now face a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
The move is a calculated risk because if the FA disciplinary panel decide the appeal is "frivolous", they have the power to impose a greater sanction than the normal three-match suspension for such incidents.
Ferdinand caught striker Craig Fagan in the face with his arm during the second-half of United's 4-0 victory over Hull City on Saturday.
As the ball was not even in the penalty area at the time and referee Steve Bennett did not see the incident, Ferdinand's only defence could be that he acted instinctively in response to foul play from Fagan.
