Updated at 20.00
CHELSEA MANAGER JOSE Mourinho was left fuming at the prospect of losing Cesc Fabregas from the beginning of next season following his dismissal in a 3-0 Premier League defeat at West Brom on Monday.
With the hosts 1-0 up, Spain midfielder Fabregas was shown a straight red card by referee Mike Jones after firing the ball into a crowd of players during a break in play, striking Chris Brunt on the head.
Fabregas is now facing a three-match ban, ruling him out of the opening fixtures of next season.
“Three-game ban for this? Jesus Christ,” raged Mourinho. “Three-game ban? Of course it’s harsh. Where is the danger of the situation, where is the aggression in the situation to get the red card in a friendly game?”
“Of course it’s harsh. If we get three games with this…Imagine…Jesus.”
However, former referee Graham Poll told the Daily Mail that the referee was right to send off Fabregas. He wrote:
Referees have been criticised plenty of times this season for bad decisions but Fabregas’ one here must be right up there and he was rightly sent off by Mike Jones. There can be no question that Jones was correct…Fabregas inexplicably kicked the ball with force at a group of West Brom players.”
It’s highly unlikely that Chelsea would have any success if they decided to appeal Fabregas’ red card. His absence against Sunderland won’t matter much, but it will be a blow for Chelsea to be without the playmaker for the start of next season.
