Duo On Disciplinary Tightrope

Neville and Fellaini one booking away from suspension.

Phil Neville could be walking a disciplinary tightrope until the New Year after picking up his fourth caution of the season in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

The Everton skipper was shown a yellow card on the stroke of half-time for an apparent dive - a transgression for which he later made a public apology.

The booking means he joins Marouane Fellaini in being one caution away from a one-match suspension.

Both players could avoid a ban by surviving until the season's first yellow card amnesty without a further caution.

The amnesty is on Monday 31 December, meaning the pair would need to maintain a clean disciplinary record beyond the visit of Chelsea on Sunday 30 December.

“It [diving] was an absolutely stupid thing to have done,” said a remorseful Neville after the game. “I don’t find myself at that end of the pitch very often.

“I thought Daniel Agger was going to come in behind me and I got a good kick up the backside at half-time and rightly so.

“I put myself under pressure with the yellow card and I couldn’t really make the tackles in the second half.”

Manager David Moyes confirmed he had notified Neville of his disapproval, adding: “I told him it was completely wrong. You don’t do that and hopefully he won’t do it again.”

Prior to Sunday's 2-2 draw, Neville saw yellow in games against West Brom, Newcastle and Wigan, while Fellaini accumulated his four bookings against West Brom, Newcastle, Leeds and Wigan.