London, England – Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been banned for three matches after he accepted the Football Association's charge of violent conduct for his headbutt on Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross.
The incident occurred in the 59th minute of Everton's 1-1 draw with the Potters at the Britannia Stadium, but it was not spotted by the match officials.
Everton manager David Moyes expressed after the game that the club would accept any punishment handed down by the FA, while Fellaini also indicated that he regretted his actions.
There were two other incidents between Fellaini and Shawcross during the match that could have resulted in a longer suspension for the Belgium international, but referee Mark Halsey said that he had seen both and didn't deem them to be violent conduct.
Fellaini leads Everton with eight goals in 15 games this season, but he will now miss games against West Ham, Wigan and Chelsea in the coming weeks.
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