Robin van Persie faces a possible three-game suspension for violent conduct after appearing to elbow Yohan Cabaye in an incident apparently unseen by the referee, Howard Webb, during his side’s 3-0 win at Newcastle United yesterday.

If Webb’s official report confirms he did not spot the altercation then the English FA can use video evidence to take retrospective action against the Manchester United striker and a ban may beckon.

Van Persie, who had earlier been booked, looked to catch the Newcastle midfielder late in the game. “He’s looked at Yohan and he’s elbowed him,” said Alan Pardew, Newcastle’s manager. “I think that needs to be looked at, if I’m honest. There’s a bit of history between those two players and I don’t know whether he’s got caught up in that but it was a little bit unsavoury. But that’s for the FA to decide on, not me.”

Meanwhile, QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has given his backing to manager Mark Hughes, insisting he remains “the right man” for the job despite the club sitting bottom of the Premier League. Rangers have collected only two points from their opening seven games and again paid the price for some woeful defending during Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at West Brom. Yet Fernandes remains committed to supporting Hughes.

Fernandes tweeted: “For all QPR fans. Fans who analyse properly. I am not changing anything. And all shareholders agree. No team except the first game has outplayed us. We need a consistent four defenders not changing every week especially right and left back. Mark is the right man.”