Topics: Serie A, Napoli, Gonzalo Higuaín
The Argentinean striker is one of the top contenders to win this year's Golden Shoe. He's currently ranked second behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gonzalo Higuain was handed a serious boost to his hopes of winning this year's Golden Shoe, as the Argentinean striker will return to the pitch sooner than expected.

The player, who was sent off during the match against Udinese and subsequently got into a heated argument with the game's ref, presented an appeal today to have his four-match ban cut short. His attempts to have the ban reduced succeeded, as the Appeals Court agreed that his punishment should be three games.

This is just how influential Higuaín has been for Napoli this year.

Despite succeeding in having his sanction reduced, the player will still have to pay a €20,000 fine for grabbing the ref's arm during his rant after being sent off. With the three-match ban confirmed, Higuaín will have to watch his team-mates from the stands against Inter and Bologna, making himself available for the game against Roma on April 25th.

The Argentinean striker is one of the top contenders to win this year's Golden Shoe, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo by one goal. Higuaín is tied in second place with Benfica's Jonas, who has also scored 30 goals in the Portuguese top flight.