Southampton forward, Charlie Austin has been charged by the FA for responding abusively towards away fans while being substituted in the 1-3 loss against Manchester City last week.
The 29-year-old was taken off in the 68th minute for Shane Long at the St. Mary’s and he was met with jeers and boos from the City stands. On his way off the pitch, Austin proceeded to pull up two fingers in response as caught on TV by the cameras.
Austin was allowed to play in the 0-0 Stamford Bridge draw against Chelsea last night but have to respond to FA’s charges by 6 PM, 7th January 2018. The official statement from the governing body read – “Southampton’s Charlie Austin has been charged following the game against Manchester City on Sunday [30 December 2018]. It is alleged that Mr Austin’s gesture in or around the 68th minute of the fixture was abusive and/or insulting. He has until 18:00 on 7 January 2019 to respond.”
Austin has scored just twice in the Premier League this term but is still the starting centre forward under Ralph Hasenhuttl. Should he face suspension for the upcoming games, it could prove to be even more difficult for the Saints to pull themselves out of the relegation zone.
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