No additional punishment for Guthrie

Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie will not receive an extended ban for his challenge on Hull forward Craig Fagan.

The 21-year-old was dismissed in stoppage time during the Magpies' 2-1 home defeat on Saturday after taking a wild swing at Fagan, who was left with a fractured left leg, but the Football Association confirmed that it can take no further action on top of a mandatory three-match suspension for the red card.

A spokesman said: "Every sending off carries an automatic sanction under the current regulations. The FA doesn't have the power to extend automatic suspensions."

The spokesman added: "The only circumstances in which we could take any further action would be to issue an additional charge against a player.

"This occurs only in exceptional cases, such as Ben Thatcher's challenge on Pedro Mendes in 2006."

Thatcher, then at Manchester City, was handed an eight-match FA ban with another 15 games suspended for two years in 2006 after a challenge which left Portsmouth's Mendes concussed and requiring neurological tests.

However, the FA spokesman also confirmed that an ongoing review of their disciplinary procedures could see a sliding scale introduced to increase punishments for serious offences.

He said: "We are currently reviewing disciplinary procedures with a view to potential changes for next season and a sliding scale for red-card offences is one of the options under consideration."

Guthrie will miss the managerless Magpies' Barclays Premier League clashes with West Ham and Blackburn, and Tottenham's Carling Cup visit to St James' Park.