Exeter Chiefs and England forward Ethan Roots has been handed a three-match ban following a controversial incident that left Gloucester hooker Jack Innard concussed—a player Roots describes as a "friend."

The 28-year-old was shown a 20-minute red card during Sunday's Premiership clash at Kingsholm after striking Innard while he was on the ground in the dying moments of the match. The blow, which occurred after a tackle, resulted in a concussion for the former Exeter teammate.

Roots will now miss a crucial stretch of fixtures for the Chiefs, including Saturday's European Challenge Cup semi-final against Ulster, a home clash with league leaders Bath at Sandy Park, and the trip to Twickenham to face Harlequins.

In a statement to an RFU disciplinary panel, Roots expressed remorse and clarified there was no malice behind the act. "We have no personal animosity at all," he said. "To the contrary, he is a friend and my brother, who also plays for Exeter, has rented his house since Jack joined Gloucester."

The incident stemmed from a tackle by Innard that made contact with Roots' calf—an area the England international had injured during the second half. Medics later removed a piece of plastic and rubber crumb from the synthetic pitch surface from the wound, which required four stitches before Roots could return to play.

"He came in very low and his shoulder came into contact with my leg exactly on the injury I had just received," Roots explained. "This was very painful. I reacted by pushing my hand down on his head. It was not a strong hit and there was no closed fist or anything like that."

Struggling to rationalize his actions, Roots admitted, "I have no idea what I was trying to do or achieve. It was a split-second response to pain and frustration, and I am very sorry for it."

While the initial starting point for the ban was six games, the panel reduced it to three, citing Roots' early admission of guilt, his clean disciplinary record, and full cooperation throughout the tribunal process.