JOHN CARVER has criticised Moussa Sissoko for failing to lead by example after his red card in Newcastle United's defeat to Liverpool on Monday evening.

Sissoko skippered the side in the absence of Fabricio Coloccini at Anfield, but his dismissal for a second bookable offence following a tackle on the Reds' Lucas Leiva did not impress Carver, who suggested the club may impose a further punishment on top of the mandatory two-game ban from the Football Association.

"He knows he was wrong," said Carver, following Sissoko's second dismissal of the season. "He was quite fortuante he didn't get a straight red card which would have made it a three match ban.

"He agreed with me and apologied afterwards to Lucas - and rightly so.

"We saw some light at the end of the tunnel, thinking we were getting Coloccini back, then we lost Moussa.

"You think a captain would lead by example. We have to improve our discipline which hasn't been great. It's something we are looking at."

Coloccini will return to the Magpies' line-up for the home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, while Carver denied that winger Rolando Aarons is set to miss the rest of the season through injury.

The head coach said: "A scan showed nothing. He's seeing a specialist for a third opinion and we will see what happens. He hasn't torn the hamstring again."

Playmaker Siem de Jong makes his return to action following surgery on a collapsed lung, and will feature for the Under-21s against Derby County this evening.

Carver said of the summer signing: "He's a top player, creative and goalsoring - and we need one of those in the team.

"Fingers crossed, he might be coming back at the right time."