Jonjo Shelvey to serve four-match ban after Swansea accept elbow charge

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/dec/31/jonjo-shelvey-four-match-ban-swansea-elbowing

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Swansea have “reluctantly accepted” Jonjo Shelvey’s violent conduct charge by the Football Association and he will now serve a four-match ban.

Shelvey elbowed Liverpool’s Emre Can during Swansea’s 4-1 defeat on Monday but escaped any action from the referee Andre Marriner.

The midfielder’s suspension begins with immediate effect with an extra game added to the customary three for violent conduct because he was sent off at Everton earlier in the season.

“The Football Association said the incident with Liverpool’s Emre Can, which happened in front of the referee, ‘was not seen by the match officials but caught on video’,” the club said on its website.

“While the club supports Shelvey’s statement that the incident was unintentional, it does not believe the outcome of an appeal would prove positive for the club or player.”

Shelvey is banned for Swansea’s visit to Queens Park Rangers on New Year’s Day and Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Tranmere, as well as home games against West Ham and Chelsea on 10 and 17 of January.

The 22-year-old has been shown seven yellow cards and one red card this season and Swansea’s manager Garry Monk said before the Liverpool game he needed to “wise up” because “laziness” was costing him needless bookings.

“I have spoken to him a number of times,” Monk said after Shelvey was booked in the Boxing Day victory over Aston Villa. “We can’t afford silly bookings and Jonjo has to wise up because that yellow card came from laziness and he has to be better than that.”

Monk said he had no intention of selling Shelvey, who joined Swansea from Liverpool for £5m in the summer of 2013, in the January transfer window.