Arne Slot could receive an extended touchline ban for his red card at Goodison Park, with the Football Association considering several potential charges following the chaotic Merseyside derby.
The Liverpool head coach was one of four people dismissed by the referee, Michael Oliver, after Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Everton but, unlike Curtis Jones or Abdoulaye Doucouré, Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff do not serve an automatic suspension. Both Slot and Hulshoff are likely to be on the bench for Wolves’ visit to Anfield on Sunday.
Related: Liverpool and Everton unite to condemn racist abuse of Abdoulaye Doucouré
Slot could still be punished for his post-match protests towards Oliver, however. The FA is awaiting Oliver’s match report before deciding whether to charge the Liverpool head coach for misconduct and have until Monday night to do so. Slot could face a standard charge or a non-standard charge, which would result in a disciplinary hearing. As he has already served one touchline ban this season, at Southampton in December after collecting three yellow cards, a hearing and an extended suspension of two games or more are possible.
It would take two to three weeks to conclude a hearing. Slot, therefore, could be on the touchline for Liverpool’s upcoming games against Wolves, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle.
The FA is reviewing several incidents from the 120th and final Merseyside derby to be held at Goodison. Both teams could be charged with failing to control their players following the brawl that broke out after Jones reacted furiously to Doucouré celebrating in front of the Liverpool fans. Bottles were thrown from the away section towards the jostling players and some Everton fans invaded the pitch following James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser.
The Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, meanwhile, is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Gomez returned from a six-week layoff to start Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Plymouth but broke down only 10 minutes into his comeback. Slot confirmed the injury is to the same hamstring and Gomez will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the problem. He may require surgery, which could rule out the defender until the final weeks of the season.
