Gary Neville has been barred from Nottingham Forest after the club revoked his accreditation, prompting Sky Sports to withdraw their presenting team from the City Ground.
Neville, a co-commentator, was due to cover Sunday's match but was informed that he would not be allowed to attend. The decision comes after Neville publicly criticised Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis for storming onto the pitch to confront manager Nuno Espirito Santo following a draw with Leicester earlier this month.
Neville described the incident as "absolutely scandalous" and took to social media to express his disdain, stating: "Scandalous from that Forest owner. Nuno should go and negotiate his exit tonight with him! The Forest fans, players and manager do not deserve that."
This sparked a heated row between Neville and Marinakis, ultimately leading to the former Manchester United star being banned from the City Ground.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports has condemned the move, calling it an "unprecedented and unwelcome step" that contradicts the principles of freedom of speech. Despite paying millions for TV rights, Sky has chosen to stand by Neville, opting to broadcast the match between Forest and Chelsea from their studios in West London instead of the City Ground, reports the Mirror.
Neville, arguably the most recognisable and esteemed pundit on television, has opted not to be part of the coverage, a decision fully backed by Sky.
Sky will still have a complete commentary team at the match, but it won't include Neville, and the presentation will be conducted remotely, deviating from their usual live studio setup within stadiums.
Marinakis insisted that his venture onto the pitch was out of concern for Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who suffered a severe injury and was placed in an induced coma, rather than to confront Nuno.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that Neville was implicated in a £2.1m defamation lawsuit filed by Marinakis against Irini Karipidis and Ari Harow.
Karipidis is the proprietor of Greek club Aris, a rival to Olympiacos, which is also owned by Marinakis, while Harow previously served as chief of staff to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.