Sport

Swansea’s Jonjo Shelvey banned for four games

Swans accept violent conduct charge after midfielder elbowed Liverpool’s Emre Can

Swansea’s Jonjo Shelvey has been handed a four match for violent conduct (Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Swansea’s Jonjo Shelvey has been handed a four match for violent conduct (Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
Wed Dec 31 2014 - 14:11

Swansea have 'reluctantly accepted' Jonjo Shelvey's violent conduct charge from the Football Association, the Barclays Premier League club have announced.

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

The 22-year-old’s suspension begins with immediate effect and he will serve a four-game ban, an extra game added to the customary three for violent conduct as he was sent off at Everton earlier in the season.

Shelvey “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 official website.

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“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 Barclays Premier League visit to QPR on New Year’s Day and Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Tranmere, as well as league home games against West Ham and Chelsea on January 10 and 17.

The once-capped England midfielder has been shown seven yellow cards and one red card this season and Swansea 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.”

But Monk said he had no intention to sell Shelvey — who joined Swansea from Liverpool for €6.4 Million in the summer of 2013 — in the January transfer window.

“It is often the case (to sell) when a manager talks about a player,” said Monk.

“But that is absolutely not the case. It was not my intention to give the impression I do not want Jonjo here.

“When I talked about him I was talking about the specific instances where he can do better, in relation to the yellow cards he has picked up.

“He is going to get a lot better and I want that to happen here at Swansea, not anywhere else.”