Anthony Gordon will have to sit in the stands and watch his Newcastle United teammates walk out to Wembley.
The 24-year-old can only blame himself. Anthony Gordon will miss the Carabao Cup final after receiving a red card in the FA Cup defeat against Brighton.
Gordon reacted angrily after the whistle, slapping Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.
The controversial decision divided opinion, with Richard Keys backing Gordon and arguing that he should be entitled to play. Newcastle was told there were three reasons to appeal Gordon’s red card, but the club ultimately decided against it.
Newcastle fans agreed not to appeal the judgment, with Alan Shearer believing Gordon’s appeal had “no chance” of being overturned.
Eddie Howe will be without Gordon for the most important game of the season, but Jim White feels the suspension rules should be modified.
Jim White advocates a red card rule modification after Anthony Gordon.
Anthony Gordon’s disciplinary record at Newcastle has been relatively spotless till recently. His explosion came at the worst possible time.
According to the current rules, a three-match suspension for a red card can be imposed across all domestic tournaments, including the Premier League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup.
However, Jim White argues that punishments should be limited to the competition in which the card was shown.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he stated: “If Newcastle were playing in a Champions League match this week, Gordon would be there and playing.
“To me, it feels quite tough; this is a different tournament.
“I would understand it if they advanced in the FA Cup and he was knocked out in the next round. If they don’t progress, he may be attacked elsewhere.”
However, White’s idea was quickly rejected by Simon Jordan and Martin Keown, who pointed out that FA Cup sanctions might be carried over to the following year.
Anthony Gordon is only one of several Carabao Cup concerns.
Rewind to the 2023 Carabao Cup final, and Howe was left with few options when Nick Pope was sent out in the buildup to the Wembley game.
History has repeated itself, and Howe must wonder what he did to deserve such bad luck.
In addition to Gordon’s ban, Newcastle reported that Lewis Hall will miss the Carabao Cup final due to an ankle injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Sven Botman is also expected to miss the final, leaving Newcastle without three of their top players when they face an in-form Liverpool team at Wembley.
Newcastle’s strongest XI for the final suddenly appears much weaker than it did a few weeks ago. The trophy is still there to be won, but hope is swiftly dwindling among Toon fans.
