Ipswich Town striker James Norwood has failed in his attempt to convince magistrates to move an impending court trial to avoid it clashing with an away fixture.
The forward is due to stand trial at Suffolk Magistrates' Court next month after entering an earlier not guilty plea to drink-driving.
In December, magistrates set a date for a summary trial to take place on Tuesday, March 16 – the same day Ipswich Town travel to play Fleetwood in League One.
On Friday, magistrates refused an application on behalf of the 30-year-old striker to vacate the trial date as the defendant would be unable to attend due to "work commitments".
Norwood is accused of driving an Audi Q8 with 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 35mcg – in Cockfield, near Bury St Edmunds, on August 30 last year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here