Caley Thistle defender Gary Warren says he is devastated to miss out on a second successive cup final.
The 30-year-old missed last season’s League Cup final defeat by Aberdeen because of suspension.
The Englishman will be forced to sit on the sidelines when Caley Jags take on Falkirk at Hampden on May 30 in the club’s first Scottish Cup final.
Warren received his second booking of the competition during Sunday’s 3-2 win against Celtic for a foul on Hoops midfielder James Forrest.
The defender had picked up a caution for dissent during his side’s fifth-round win at Partick Thistle and will now be absent for the end-of-season showpiece.
He said: “It is extremely disappointing to miss another cup final but it is just one of those things.
“Someone else will come in and, no doubt, do just as good a job.
“That can happen in football and I just need to get on with it. I knew as soon as I was booked that I would miss the final.
“Going into the game you are aware of what could happen but you can’t let it play on your mind or you will start to pull out of tackles and that is not my nature.
“I will take it on the chin and move on.
“We still have so much to play for in terms of the league and now a cup final.”
Unsurprisingly, Warren would back a rule change that prevents players being ruled out of the final for picking up two bookings during the competition.
He said: “I think it is a ridiculous rule, especially for defenders as it means you can’t tackle.
“Making challenges, interceptions and blocks is part and parcel of being a defender.
“To have the chance to play in a cup final taken away from you is massively disappointing.
“The rule should be looked at. They could maybe increase it so that it is more than two bookings or give everyone a clean slate when they reach the semi-final stage.
“That would be fair for everyone as missing a final for only two bookings seems really unfortunate.”
Warren had no complaints with his booking for the foul on Forrest and also felt his caution at Firhill against the Maryhill Jags could have been avoided.
He said: “The first booking was my own fault as I was talking back to the referee against Partick Thistle. That is why it is disappointing as I should have kept my mouth shut. That one hurts the most.
“The one against Celtic was for a foul but the first booking was silly.
“I should know better but I am 30 and if I haven’t changed by now I am never going to change.”
Should Caley Thistle win the final on May 30, Warren says he won’t be emulating John Terry by donning a strip for the trophy celebrations.
The Blues captain was lampooned for lifting the Champions League trophy in full kit after beating Bayern Munich in 2012, despite being suspended for the final.
He said: “You may not feel as much a part of the final because you are not playing. But I will still be there and will be celebrating with the team if we win. But I won’t be donning a strip afterwards if we win, I will be somewhere in the background or in the stands.”
Warren accepted Caley Jags rode their luck during Sunday’s spectacular 3-2 win against Celtic, most notably when the Hoops were denied a penalty when Josh Meekings handled Leigh Griffiths’ goal-bound header.
He added: “When it is your day a little bit of luck goes your way. You always need that to win a game like this when you are the underdogs.
“Inverness is a small club, so to get to a final in a second consecutive year is an unbelievable achievement. But this is not about going on another day out – we have got to win the cup this time.
“Everything is in our hands and we want to have some silverware to show for how we have played over the past couple of seasons.”