FA mete out three-game suspension for SWP

The English Football Association (FA) has suspended Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips for three league games after finding him guilty of violent conduct. The incident relates to the Manchester City winger's altercation with Stoke City's Rory Delap during the Eastlands club's 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium on Jan 31. Delap reacted angrily to a sliding challenge by Wright-Phillips on teammate Matthew Etherington by lashing out at the England international, which earned the Republic of Ireland midfielder a red card. The referee Martin Atkinson did not see all of the altercation but, after watching video footage, informed the FA he would have shown Wright-Phillips a red card for violent conduct had he spotted the incident. Wright-Phillips will therefore miss City's next three Barclays Premier League matches — all away from home — at Portsmouth on Saturday, against Liverpool on February 22 and at West Ham on March 1. He will, however, be available for the two-legged Uefa Cup last-32 encounter with FC Copenhagen later this month.

*With Agencies