Portugal will definitely be without midfielder Deco when they face England in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday after FIFA told them to not to bother appealing against the red card he received against Holland.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had hoped to have the suspended Barcelona star in his side for the clash in Gelsenkirchen and urged the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to appeal over Deco's first yellow card, awarded for a lunge at Holland defender Johnny Heitinga.

But FIFA communications director Markus Siegler, who confirmed there had been contact from the FPF, said: "They were clearly told 'forget it'."