According to the latest reports this morning, the Football Association have confirmed that they are investigating the incident involving Steven Gerrard and Portsmouth’s Michael Brown in last night’s game at Anfield.
Gerrard appeared to plant his forearm in the back of Brown’s head – an incident which went unpunished, presumably unseen by referee Stuart Attwell. It now seems likely that he will be asked to cast his eye over the alleged clash and make a judgement call on the required punishment.
A report in the Daily Mirror is carrying quotes from an FA Spokesman confirming that the incident is being examined…
“We need to establish what the referee gave the free-kick for. Whether it was for an element of what he saw or whether it was for the entirety of what we have all seen since on TV…We will be working on this basis and gathering the referee’s report.”
The Liverpool skipper has only just wriggled free of one possible FA charge having escaped action following an apparent V-sign aimed at referee Andre Marriner in the win over Wigan. This time however, he may find himself suitably chastised. A violent conduct charge will be the likely outcome, with Gerrard given time to appeal before a three-match ban is dished out.
If this is the case then Gerrard could possibly miss the trip to Old Trafford on Sunday. This would be followed by the home game with Sunderland and the visit to St Andrews.
Gerrard is currently owned by 17% of Fantasy Premier League managers who now face an anxious wait on the outcome of this FA action. However, it seems highly likely that, with a Chelsea double fixture this gameweek, both Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda will be targeted by these managers as would-be replacements regardless of the outcome. Gerrard brought in just three points in last night’s 4-1 win and has registered just a single goal in his last nine league starts.
Owners of Fernando Torres, or those considering investment in the Spaniard following last night’s big points haul, will also be paying close attention to the outcome. While Gerrard has failed to produce, he remains a key influence and will be missed over those three matches should he face a ban. Whether this will see Torres step up (he may well earn spot-kick duties) or have his goal opportunities reduced, is up for contention. With such a fine line between Drogba, Rooney and Torres when it comes to selection up front – Gerrard’s absence could be considered as a factor.