Premier League rules ban Everton star from playing v Newcastle United - statement & apology issued
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Newcastle United latest news: Idrissa Gana Gueye will not feature against Eddie Howe’s side after his red card during Everton’s win over Manchester United.
Everton will be without midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye when they host Newcastle United on Saturday after the Senegal international was sent off during the Toffees’ win at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Gueye was dismissed by referee Tony Harrington after appearing to slap teammate Michael Keane in the face following a disagreement between the pair. That red card was just the third time since 2000/01that a player had been sent off in the Premier League following an incident with his own teammate as Gueye joined Ricardo Fuller, Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer in that particular statistic.
Gana Gueye was shown a straight red card by Harrington, with the PL Match Centre on X immediately explaining the decision: ‘#MUNEVE – 13’ The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane.’
An offence of violent conduct brings with it an automatic three-match ban. That means Gueye will not be able to feature in Everton’s clash against Newcastle United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday evening (5:30pm kick-off), their trip to face Bournemouth on Tuesday 2 December (7:30pm kick-off) and their game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday 6 December (3pm kick-off).
The 36-year-old will be back and available for selection when Everton face Chelsea in mid-December, however, his expected participation at the African Cup of Nations means that may be the only time he is seen again in an Everton shirt before the end of 2025.
David Moyes’ reaction to Idrissa Gana Gueye red card
Despite going down to ten men so early in the game, Everton were able to take all three points from Old Trafford following a stunning Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall goal. A tireless defensive effort followed from Moyes’ side as they moved up to 11th in the table.
Asked for his thoughts on the incident involving Gueye and Keane, Moyes said: “We don’t [see it often] and if nothing had happened, I don’t think anybody in the stadium would have been surprised.
“I thought the referee could have maybe taken a little bit longer to think about it. Maybe just go over to sort it and have a think about it.
“I was told that the rules of the game say that if you slap even your own player or move your arm up in some way then you could be in trouble.
The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
“But you know, there’s another side to it. I quite like my players fighting each other. Getting annoyed with each other because of a bad ball or because someone didn’t do the right action.
“I think that’s part of it. If you want a winning team or a resilience which got us that result, then you have to have players who act that way. I’m disappointed we got the sending off, but everybody will tell you, we’ve all been footballers, and they’ll tell you you can get angry with your teammates.”
Post-match, Gueye posted an apology on social media. That read: "I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane. I take full responsibility for my reaction.
"I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."