BLACKBURN Rovers boss Owen Coyle feels a three-game ban would have been sufficient for Hope Akpan with the midfielder facing an extended suspension following his red card at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night.

Akpan was sent off for raising his hands towards referee Scott Duncan as he protested against his late equaliser at Hillsborough being ruled out for handball.

MORE TOP STORIES:

He has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association and begins a three match man when Manchester United visit Ewood Park in the FA Cup on Sunday, but that could be extended.

Coyle, who stressed that no-one at the club condones laying hands on an official, said: “I thought a three game ban was sufficient.

“Nobody can ever condone touching a referee but never at any time did Hope Akpan push, or shove, as people have intimated, the referee.

“Hope placed his arms on the referee, which he shouldn’t have done, but he never pushed him.

“It’s hard to take given the events of the other night, but the situation has arisen after a decision which was given against us after scoring a perfectly good goal.

“It does rub salt in to the wounds, but I must stress, no-one is condoning touching a referee.”

Elliott Bennett will also miss Rovers’ next two games after being sent off following the final whistle at Hillsborough for his protestations.

Sam Gallagher was stretchered off on Tuesday night, requiring 12 stitches to a deep knee wound, which will rule him out of at least Sunday’s FA Cup.

Adam Henley, Elliott Ward, Tommie Hoban, Corry Evans are all side lined, while Lucas Joao is cup-tied after featuring for Sheffield Wednesday in round three.

However, defender Gordon Greer could return to the fold after missing the last two games with a hip injury.

Coyle was incensed by the challenge on 11-goal Gallagher which could see him face an extended period on the sidelines.

The Rovers boss felt it was an ‘obvious’ red card as Sam Hutchinson caught Gallagher with a high boot midway through the first-half.

On the Southampton loanee, Coyle added: “He is unavailable for Sunday.

“It is hard to take for Sam, as it will be for Hope and Benno.

“Sam, for me, is going to be a bona fide Premier League player, and I do think he would have caused Manchester United problems with the way he plays and what he has in his locker.

“He is a strong character and will look to bounce back, but he is a probably a doubt for the games to come thereafter which doesn’t help us as a club, so we have to see how the wound heals. It was quite a deep gash.”