Red card appealed, as boss admits Ndong will depart
Sunderland have appealed the red card shown to midfielder Didier Ndong in Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Cardiff City.
Boss Chris Coleman admitted after the game that Ndong ‘gave the referee a decision to make’ following his sending off.
But the club has now appealed and will hope he can avoid a three-match ban.
Ndong was shown a straight red by Andrew Madley for a challenge on Junior Hoilett.
Speaking after the game, Coleman said: “The sending off, sometimes they’re given, sometimes they’re not. I think the referee did have a decision to make, then you’re on a wing and a prayer [after he does].
“You can look at it two ways, his studs are up onto the ball, then his foot hits it [the ball], and then he hits the Cardiff boy quite high. I’ve seen them given, seen them not given. But that’s not what cost us today, it is that first goal.”
Sunderland have rejected a loan bid from Watford for the 23-year-old and the Black Cats boss has accepted that his departure is inevitable.
Coleman said: “We know he is on his way eventually, but I said to players who want to leave, if they’re mentally with us and will put a shift in for the team we’ll use them.
“To be fair to him, in the first half he covered a lot of ground, worked hard. He got sent off, maybe he is unlucky.
“I really can’t say Didier was the problem. We gave the opposition a goal 45 seconds into the half, make no mistake that is where it came from. Then it’s ‘here we go again’.”