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GEORGE BOATENG'S four-match ban was this afternoon overturned after Boro's claim for wrongful dismissal was successful.
The club's appeal against the skipper's sending-off for violent conduct during the defeat at Spurs was upheld by a Disciplinary Commission earlier today.
Boateng had faced a four-match ban, one more than the usual suspension for the offence as he had already been red carded on a previous occasion this season.
It was to have started against Wigan on Saturday, a game fellow central midfielder Lee Cattermole will miss after picking up five yellow cards this season.
But in a statement this afternoon, the FA said: "At a Disciplinary Commission hearing today Middlesbrough's George Boateng had a claim for wrongful dismissal upheld. As a result the four-match suspension has been withdrawn."
Meanwhile, the club this afternoon revealed they will deny a charge of failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.
The charges relate to a mass confrontation in the 86th minute of the match at White Hart Lane last night. Spurs have also been charged and both clubs have until 21 December to respond.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate said after the game that he felt Boateng's sending off was unfair.
Boateng is initially challenged hard by Aaron Lennon and as he gets up is approached by Zakora in an aggressive manner.
Southgate said: "There's a challenge between George and one of their players and then George sort of gets bundled over. He stands up and there's a few of players run towards him.
"I don't think he was doing anything other than stopping people running towards him. Hopefully the referee will have another look at it because I don't feel he's done too much wrong."
Spurs manager Martin Jol initially felt his player had been hard done by but on reviewing the evidence has had a change of heart.
"At first I thought Didier Zokora was unlucky to be sent off because he tried to prevent any trouble breaking out," he told the Spurs website this afternoon.
"I've seen it again now and I felt he probably deserved the sending off because if you are so far away from a situation and run in it does look aggressive. You then get a crowd of players coming together and you don't want that."
