THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION will announce the results of a disciplinary hearing into Jonny Evans’ conduct during his spitting battle with Papiss Cisse today.

Cisse has already been issued with a seven-match ban after pleading guilty to spitting at Evans during Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday night.

However, Evans formally denied a charge of deliberately spitting at an opponent earlier today, and the FA hastily convened a disciplinary panel hearing, which met last night.

The results will be announced today, and if, as expected, Evans is issued with a six-match suspension, he will be forced to sit out Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal.

The Manchester United defender continues to insist that he did not knowingly spit at Cisse, even though television footage clearly shows him spitting at the floor while standing no more than two yards away from the Newcastle striker.

The pair had tussled close to the halfway line in the first half of Wednesday’s game, and while Evans was looking at the floor rather than directly at Cisse when he spat, the proximity of the two players means the FA will have to decide whether he could realistically claim not to have deliberately targeted his opponent.

If Evans is not punished for his actions, there will be understandable anger within the corridors of power at St James’ Park.

The Newcastle hierarchy supported Cisse’s decision to accept his punishment for his own part in the unsavoury incident, even though they knew that would automatically mean the Senegal international missing the next seven matches, which include the Wear-Tyne derby with Sunderland.

Evans did not make a public comment yesterday, but the Northern Ireland international has previously said: “I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse. It is not in my character or in my nature to spit at anybody, nor is it something I have ever done or would ever do. It is certainly not something that I did (on Wednesday).”

The FA confirmed the defender’s decision to dispute the spitting charge by issuing a tweet this evening that said: “Manchester United’s Jonny Evans denies FA charge in relation to involving Papiss Cisse. Independent Regulatory Commission hearing tonight – decision expected tomorrow (Saturday).”