Aston Villa's Leandro Bacuna banned for SIX games following assistant referee shove
Midfielder Leandro Bacuna has been hit with a six-match ban after being sent-off for barging into the assistant referee during Villa's win 1-0 win over Derby last month.
The 25-year-old, who served the first game of the suspension in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Bristol City, will now miss the club's next five matches.
Bacuna accepted a charge of violent conduct after being shown a straight red card in the final seconds of the victory over the Rams, after making contact with assistant referee Mark Russell, having taken umbrage with the official's decision to award the opposition a throw-in.
Sendings-off for violent conduct carry an automatic three-match ban but Bacuna the FA deemed that punishment insufficient and following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, an additional three-match suspension was added to the sanction.
Villa boss Steve Bruce said: "I think we said at the time he has overstepped the mark. We fined him the maximum the law allows us.
"I have to say I think the FA's punishment is a bit harsh. When I consider Hope Akpan at Blackburn pushed the referee in a similar sort of instance and only got a one game ban, I do feel personally it's a bit harsh.
"We will meet this afternoon and see if there is grounds for appeal."