Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira has accepted a Football Association violent conduct charge and is expected to be handed a three-match ban on Friday.
Viera was charged with violent conduct by the Football Association after an incident with Stoke’s Glenn Whelan during Tuesday’s Premier League encounter.
If Vieira had contested the charge and been found guilty it is likely his ban would have been extended to for four games.
“Patrick Vieira has reluctantly decided not to contest the FA charge of violent conduct,” said the City statement.
Referee Alan Wiley spoke to Vieira over the incident but took no action.
The midfielder is now likely to miss his team’s key Premier League matches against Liverpool and Chelsea, plus an FA Cup fifth-round replay – against Stoke.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis had stated after the game that he wanted parity after one of his players, Robert Huth, was suspended earlier in the season following the use of video evidence.
The German was forced to sit out three games after cameras caught him lashing out at West Ham’s Matthew Upson in October.
“We had a player given a three-game suspension after an incident a couple of months back,” said Pulis after the match.
“There were incidents in the first half with Man City players where I think it is as bad if not worse.”
Vieira is no stranger to the FA or disciplinary action having been sent off 10 times and booked on 100 occasions in his nine years at Arsenal before leaving for Inter in 2005.
