Newcastle’s Cisse facing ban over spitting incident

The pair tangled in Newcastle United’s 1-0 defeat to Louis van Gaal’s side at St James’s Park last night.

And the Football Association are expected to look into the incident after reviewing referee Anthony Taylor’s report.

TV replays appeared to show both Cisse and Evans spit at each other during a controversial first half which which also saw Wythenshawe-based official Taylor fail to award a penalty after Emmanuel Riviere was brought down by Chris Smalling.

The game was decided by an 89th-minute strike from Ashley Young.

And the altercation between Cisse and Evans could prove costly for both clubs, with the FA having banned Hull City’s George Boyd for three games last season for spitting at Manchester City’s Joe Hart.

Newcastle head coach John Carver said after the match that he would investigate the incident.

“I am aware of it now because the guys on TV have made me aware of it,” said Carver.

“I genuinely haven’t seen the incident. I just saw a fracas on the halfway line between the two players, and the referee spoke to them. That’s all I have seen.

“As far as I am concerned, I need to have a look at it.”

Van Gaal, like Carver, did not see the either player spit.

“I didn’t see that from the bench – it was too far to see,” said van Gaal. “I cannot judge that.

“I cannot imagine Jonny Evans could do that. I cannot imagine it.”

Carver, already short of players because of an injury crisis, can ill-afford to lose Cisse, the club’s 11-goal top scorer.

Cisse scored Newcastle’s goal in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

Carver’s side remain 11th in the Premier League table, four points behind 10th-placed West Ham United.