<p class="title">The captains of the three teams drawn to play Peru at the World Cup in Russia next month have appealed to FIFA to lift a ban on Paolo Guerrero, who was suspended after testing positive for cocaine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Peru captain Guerrero was ruled out of the finals last week after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) increased from six months to 14 months a ban he received after testing positive for cocaine contained in a tea he drank.</p>.<p class="bodytext">France captain Hugo Lloris, Australia's Mile Jedinak and Denmark skipper Simon Kjaer wrote a letter to FIFA saying the ban was disproportionate given that CAS acknowledged Guerrero did not knowingly ingest cocaine or seek to gain an advantage.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We respectfully ask the FIFA Council to show compassion," Jedinak, Kjaer and Lloris said in a letter released by FIFPro, the world players' union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In our view it would be plainly wrong to exclude him from what should be a pinnacle of his career."</p>.<p class="bodytext">The three players said Guerrero could be allowed to play in the tournament and serve the remainder of his ban afterwards.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We strongly believe a temporary interruption would be an equitable and rightful solution," they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ban means the 34-year-old Peru captain and top goalscorer will miss Peru's first World Cup in 36 years.</p>
<p class="title">The captains of the three teams drawn to play Peru at the World Cup in Russia next month have appealed to FIFA to lift a ban on Paolo Guerrero, who was suspended after testing positive for cocaine.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Peru captain Guerrero was ruled out of the finals last week after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) increased from six months to 14 months a ban he received after testing positive for cocaine contained in a tea he drank.</p>.<p class="bodytext">France captain Hugo Lloris, Australia's Mile Jedinak and Denmark skipper Simon Kjaer wrote a letter to FIFA saying the ban was disproportionate given that CAS acknowledged Guerrero did not knowingly ingest cocaine or seek to gain an advantage.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We respectfully ask the FIFA Council to show compassion," Jedinak, Kjaer and Lloris said in a letter released by FIFPro, the world players' union.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"In our view it would be plainly wrong to exclude him from what should be a pinnacle of his career."</p>.<p class="bodytext">The three players said Guerrero could be allowed to play in the tournament and serve the remainder of his ban afterwards.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We strongly believe a temporary interruption would be an equitable and rightful solution," they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ban means the 34-year-old Peru captain and top goalscorer will miss Peru's first World Cup in 36 years.</p>