Frustrated Nenad Milijas still seeing red over card

Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas today broke his silence on his red card hell to reveal it's the worst time of his career.

Milijas is still reeling from both the decision to dismiss him in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal and the verdict of the FA's three-man appeals panel, who deemed referee Stuart Attwell had not made a "serious and obvious error" by sending him off.

The Serbia international revealed it was the first time he has been dismissed and he's finding it difficult to come to terms with.

"I've never been sent off before," said Milijas. "Of course I'm disappointed and frustrated.

"It's the worst time for me because I was back in the team and now I'm out again.

"I felt I was putting in some good performances at a time it was important for the team.

"Now I've missed some big games and maybe I'd have been in the first XI if I had been available."

Wolves have also suffered from losing Milijas at a time when fellow playmaker Jamie O'Hara is out after a double hernia operation.

Milijas, who sat out the Bolton and Chelsea games and completes his ban with Saturday's FA Cup third round tie at Birmingham, insists he won the ball fairly in the tackle against Mikel Arteta.

"It's not my game to make strong tackles or go in on people," he said.

"I went into the challenge to take the ball and I got the ball. The referee made his decision and that's the end."

Milijas admitted the only compensation has been with the matches coming thick and fast, at least they were all out of the way quickly.

"If the games were just Saturday-Saturday-Saturday I would have been out for far longer," he said.

Wolves do have the option of using on-loan Arsenal man Emmanuel Frimpong in Saturday's FA Cup third round tie against Birmingham.

See also:

• Adam Hammill in blast at ref after Frank Lampard escapes red card

• Frimpong is up for Wolves fight