Preston forward Milutin Osmajic has been charged with biting an opponent during last Sunday’s goalless draw with Blackburn in the EFL Championship.
Montenegro international Osmajic is alleged to have bitten Rovers defender Owen Beck, who was sent off for kicking out at Duane Holmes in the same incident late in the game at Deepdale.
An FA spokesperson said: ‘Milutin Osmajic has been charged following Preston North End’s EFL Championship game against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, 22 September.
‘It’s alleged that the forward committed an act of violent conduct by biting an opponent around the 87th minute.
‘Milutin Osmajic has until Monday, September 30, to provide a response.’
Milutin Osmajic (second left) pictured appearing to bite Owen Beck (left) on Sunday afternoon
Beck complained to referee Matt Donohue, who sent him off and gave Osmajic a yellow card
Liverpool loanee Beck was dismissed for violent conduct after kicking out at another player
Beck – who is on loan at Ewood Park from Liverpool – was himself dismissed for violent conduct and will therefore serve a three-game ban.
The 22-year-old Welsh left back took a swipe at Holmes in the aftermath of Yuki Ohashi’s foul on Osmajic.
Osmajic then got to his feet and grabbed Beck, barging him away with his head pressed into the back of the Reds loanee’s neck.
Blackburn boss John Eustace said in his post-match press conference that Beck had ‘got a big bite mark on the back of his neck. He’s shown all the lads. He’s a little bit quiet, a little bit shook up.’
Beck took to social media after the game and uploaded a photo of a bite mark alongside the caption: ‘Scruffy b*******’. Â
The bad-tempered match earlier saw Preston’s Sam Greenwood sent off for a lunge at Rovers’ Lewis Baker.
If found guilty, Osmajic could be hit with a lengthy suspension.
Osmajic pictured applauding fans at Deepdale after Sunday’s derby game, which ended 0-0
Luis Suarez received a 10-match ban in 2013, when he was playing for Liverpool, after biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
Uruguayan Suarez – who had also bitten Otman Bakkal in 2010 when playing for Ajax in the Netherlands – went on to reoffend at the 2014 FIFA World Cup when he famously sunk his teeth into the shoulder of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.