Neil Warnock accuses red-card defender Joe Bennett of intentional foul to miss Leeds away game
Leroy Sane was hacked down and injured by the Cardiff defender in the first half and he fouled again with just seconds remaining
CARDIFF boss Neil Warnock tore into red-card defender Joe Bennett and accused him of getting sent off on purpose to avoid a trip to Leeds.
Man City star Leroy Sane was the victim of a horror lunge from the full-back that could sideline the brilliant German for months.
Bennett escaped with a yellow for that shin-high, ankle-twisting lunge in the first half.
But he was sent off with seconds remaining of injury time for another bad foul - with the game already over at 2-0.
Bennett will now miss the trip to Elland road with a one-match suspension for two bookings.
And Warnock hung the 27-year-old out to dry for his antics.
He said: "I was disappointed with the sending off because he obviously doesn't want to go to Leeds.
"When you are on a yellow, that's pathetic, that's disrespectful to his team-mates."
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After the final whistle, fuming Pep Guardiola marched on to the pitch to confront referee Lee Mason over his handling of the fourth-round clash.
Guardiola said: "All I ask is that the referee protects the players, not the Man City players, just the players.
"That's all I ask from the people in football, please.
"It's difficult for every team to win this kind of game.
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"I know my players, it was many (bad tackles).
"Any team can play how they want but the referee must decide what is correct or incorrect.
"I just ask that he protects the players."
When asked about the seriousness of Sane’s injury after the brutal challenge, Guardiola said: "He will be out for a while, a few weeks or months, we will see."
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