The Football Association confirmed the suspension after the England midfielder was sent off against Everton last Saturday for two bookable offences.

FA spokesman Steve Double said Wise had been given a mandatory one game ban for the dismissal - plus a further two matches because it was his third red card of the season.

Wise will now miss the Premiership matches with Tottenham on December 19th, the trip to Southampton on Boxing Day and the visit of Manchester United three days later.

He was sent off in a pre-season game, which meant he started the campaign with a three-match ban. And he was sidelined for another four games after being red carded for a terrible tackle on teenager Darren Byfield in a Worthington Cup tie with Aston Villa.

He had just returned from that latest ban on Saturday when he was given an early bath for two clumsy challenges on Danny Cadamarteri and Marco Materazzi.

Chelsea boss Gianluca Vialli chose his words carefully after the Everton game - mindful that Wise had gone into print on the morning of the match to say he "couldn't change his style".

"The best thing is for everybody not to comment on Wise," Vialli said.