Newcastle United

Newcastle defender Mike Williamson has been handed a three-match ban for violent conduct during Saturday's match against Bolton.

Williamson had denied the charge, which relates to an incident involving Bolton striker Johan Elmander in the 5-1 defeat at the Reebok Stadium.

The charge was raised after match referee Howard Webb reviewed video footage of the incident. Webb, who later sent off Newcastle's Fabricio Coloccini after he felled Elmander with a flailing arm, did not see the incident at the time.

Williamson becomes the second man from the club to be charged with the same offence on video evidence in less than a fortnight.

Midfielder Joey Barton is currently serving a three-match ban for punching Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen in the chest during his side's 2-1 home defeat on 10 November.

Should Williamson, 27, be subject to a similar punishment, manager Chris Hughton faces heading into Sunday's game with leaders Chelsea without the two men who have played at the heart of his defence for all 14 league games to date.

He has veteran Sol Campbell and the fit-again Steven Taylor waiting in the wings, but the former Arsenal man has had little football in recent weeks while Taylor is yet to appear this season.

Campbell's only start for his new club came in the 4-3 Carling Cup third-round victory at Chelsea on 22 September.