I could have been blinded

OLIVEIRA: FA MUST BE MERCILESS WITH MINGS

NELSON OLIVEIRA has blasted the FA for failing to punish Tyrone Mings after claiming he could have been blinded by the defender’s horror face stamp.

The Reading striker suffered five deep facial wounds and broke his nose in four places after being trampled on by Mings during Saturday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa.

But under FA rules, on-loan Bournemouth defender Mings cannot be banned retrospectively as referee Geoff Eltringham spotted the incident at the time and took no action.

“I’m not saying he did it on purpose, but he could have avoided me 100 per cent,” said Oliveira yesterday.

“He texted me to apologise. At the time I hadn’t seen the video. Football is an aggressive game but that is not football. It could have been much worse; I could be blind.

“I’m not criticising the referee because it’s not my job. It’s up to the FA to look at these things.

“If the same thing happened to Harry Kane what would happen? How would the FA look at it when his career could have been over? It’s a question to ask people and the media.

“If this happens in Portugal they would look at it again. You see UFC fighters come off looking better than me.”

Mings was suspended for five games in 2017 for stamping on Manchester United ace Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s head. Oliveira added: “In the last two years he has stamped on the head of two players. The FA need to look at that.

“I know there are FA rules but some things are bigger than that.”

Oliveira is being fitted with a protective face mask but is unlikely to play at Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.

Reading boss Jose Gomes said: “Our media department has a very good picture that clearly shows him looking down before he steps on Nelson’s face. There is no doubt it’s intentional.

“The FA must punish Mings or the referee, but the ref didn’t see it. Now nothing happens and it is not fair.”

But Mings’ Villa boss Dean Smith leapt to his defence yesterday. “It felt to me like it became a bit of a witch-hunt for somebody who was assumed to have stamped before,” he said ahead of tonight’s clash with Sheffield United.

“But for me this was a total accident. I’m absolutely convinced. Their bench didn’t appeal, none of their players appealed, the fans didn’t know what happened and I didn’t see the incident.

“Nearest person was the referee and he deemed it an accident and played on.

“The one person that quickly stopped play was Tyrone as he saw what happened and wanted to make sure it was OK.

“It’s affected him because he was worried about a fellow professional player who was injured from an accident with himself.”