Sheffield United star set to miss Newcastle United clash following controversial referee call

Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie will not be available to face Newcastle United on Sunday. The Scotland international will instead serve a one-game ban after being sent-off in the dying stages of their late defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

McBurnie was handed a second yellow card by Peter Bankes after complaining about a foul going against him in added time. Because he was shown a second yellow card, rather than a straight red, McBurnie has not been able to appeal his automatic one game ban and will be forced to watch Sunday’s clash from the stands.

Taking to X after their defeat to Spurs, McBurnie criticised the decision to show him a red card, questioning the logic of Bankes’ decision. McBurnie wrote: ‘Not even allowed to speak to referees these days but certain teams/players allowed to run up to them multiple times in a game with no problems’.

Paul Heckingbottom, meanwhile, was similarly critical of the officials following their 2-1 defeat toAnge Postecoglou’s side, Heckingbottom’s complaints largely centred around his belief that the officials were instructing his team how to play in order for Wes Foderingham to avoid picking up a yellow card for time wasting - one that would have seen him sent to the stands after an earlier booking for handball.

Heckingbottom said: "The officiating is appalling. It's not about the football decisions, just game management.

“My worry is that all the focus is on the yellow cards, time-wasting, the new guidelines. The focus all of a sudden comes onto time-wasting, so they're dictating how we play. If you play to take goal kicks from the back, you set up one way, and if Spurs go against that, that dictates the decision you make.

"We're getting told to just play long - you can't do it. Wes [Foderingham] got booked for handling outside the box and then you're threatening him with another yellow [for dissent], you just can't do it.”

Newcastle United, meanwhile, will be hoping to erase demons from their last visit to Bramall Lane when, at that point, a winless Blades side defeated Steve Bruce’s Newcastle United on an abject night in January 2021 that saw Ryan Fraser dismissed on the stroke of half-time.