Luis Suárez is out of Saints’ visit to Anfield on the opening day of the season, after receiving a lengthy ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

The Liverpool and Uruguay striker has been suspended by FIFA for nine international matches and banned from all football activity for four months.

Suárez was seen apparently sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Chiellini during the second half of his country's 1-0 win against Italy on Tuesday - a result that sent them into the knockout stages.

As well as missing the rest of the World Cup, he will again be absent at the start of the Premier League season.

He and the Uruguay FA are able to appeal against the sanctions, but, even if that is lodged and the process is under way, he will not be able play in any matches.

FIFA confirmed that Suárez could still be transferred during his ban.

Suárez was suspended for the first six matches of the last campaign – part of his punishment for another bite, that time on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

That meant he was absent for Liverpool during Saints’ 1-0 victory at Anfield last September.

He will be missing again when the teams meet this season, as Ronald Koeman takes his new side to face the Reds on the opening day of the campaign.

FIFA confirmed that Suárez has also been fined 100,000 Swiss francs (just under £66,000), while he is banned from entering any stadium during the period of his punishment.

A statement from FIFA read: ''The player, Luis Suárez, is to be suspended for nine official matches.

"The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on June 28, 2014.

"The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.

''The player Luis Suárez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months.''

FIFA's statement continued: ''A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suárez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows: the player Luis Suárez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.

''The player Luis Suárez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension.

''The player Luis Suárez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.''

Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case.

Sulser said: ''Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field.

''The disciplinary committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suarez's guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the dode. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated.''