Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford has been charged with “successful deception of a match official” after he feigned injury in a wild match against Aston Villa, and now faces a two-match suspension which would rule him out of the first leg of the Championship play-offs.
Bamford recoiled clutching his face after an altercation with Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi, who was subsequently sent off despite video replays showing there was minimal contact with the Leeds striker.
The Football Association has rescinded El Ghazi’s automatic three-match ban, and has given Bamford until 6pm on Wednesday to respond to the charge.
Bamford is expected to accept the charge and would then be unavailable for Leeds’s final game of the regular season against Ipswich, as well as the first leg of the play-offs.
The FA has also charged both clubs with failing to control their players after a raucous spell in which Leeds appeared set to kick the ball out of play for an injured player only to continue and score, much to Villa’s ire.
After a furore on the pitch – in which the Bamford incident occurred – Leeds allowed Villa to score an equaliser, although the efforts of Leeds defender Pontus Jansson to prevent the goal further incensed Villa players and staff on the touchline.
