Anthony Gordon was sent off for the second time in his Newcastle United career during their FA Cup clash against Brighton.
The winger was shown a straight red card by referee Anthony Taylor for shoving Jan Paul van Hecke onto the turf after chasing the ball.
Newcastle had a one-man disadvantage for eight minutes as Tariq Lamptey was also given his marching orders for a second yellow card.
The Seagulls went on to win 2-1 at St James' Park, with former Sunderland man Danny Welbeck scoring the winner.
However, Gordon's dismissal quickly raised questions about whether or not he'll be able to play against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Eddie Howe's will side travel to Wembley on March 16 with the chance to win a major domestic trophy for the first time since 1955.
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Will Gordon miss the final?
Gordon will rue his sending off even more as he will MISS the Carabao Cup final.
He is likely to be given a three-match ban for violent conduct and be absent against West Ham and Brentford either side of Liverpool.
The 24-year-old was crucial on their journey to Wembley as he scored in both legs against Arsenal in the semi-finals.
However, he will miss a second Carabao Cup final with Newcastle after losing his cool against Brighton.
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Gordon missed the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in 2023 having played in the competition for Everton earlier in the season, meaning he sat on the sidelines and watched.
Reacting to the incident, Roy Keane told ITV: “There was an incident maybe one or two minutes before it. He’s frustrated. It was a moment of madness, I do feel for him - I’ve done daft stuff on the pitch.
“He’ll have to take his medicine and will have to take his punishment with the suspension.
“I’m not going to be too hard on him. Yeah it is frustration and I’m not going to be too harsh on him.”
Newcastle could also be without their star striker Alexander Isak, who appeared to pick up a slight injury and was substituted, though Howe suggested post-match that was nothing to worry about.
Speaking after the match, Howe revealed that the Toon might appeal Gordon's red card if hey feel there are grounds to do so.
He said: “I don’t know quite what’s happened.
“It’s very difficult to form an opinion. I haven’t seen a replay. But my original thought was it looked harsh.
“I’m sure his intention wasn’t to harm anyone. I’ve only seen Anthony briefly and he was very disappointed. I don’t think he’s gone in with any malice or intention to do harm. I’ve got to see it properly before giving a big opinion. But that’s not a common sight with Anthony.
“It’s very disappointing for Anthony and the team but the old cliche is that one person’s disappointment creates a big opportunity for someone else.”
Meanwhile, Ally McCoist feels it is harsh that Gordon misses the cup final for a red card in a different competition.
Speaking on 90mins Breakfast, he said: "I think they've got to appeal it, but they'll lose it, but I don't think there are any grounds for an appeal.
"I felt for him because he just loses his head, and that cup final appearance has disappeared before his very eyes."
"But should you be penalised for a trophy you've not been sent off in?
"He's getting punished for a different tournament, and I am not sure I am 100 per cent comfortable with that."
Sunday's FA Cup drama at St. James' Park saw Newcastle take the lead with an Isak penalty.
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Yankuba Minteh made it 1-1 just before the break, before both sides fell down to ten men before the full-time whistle.
Fabian Schar thought he sent Newcastle to the quarter-finals with an excellent finish, but the goal was ruled out for offside before Welbeck popped up.