Cole escapes further punishment

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole will not be punished retrospectively for his crude tackle on Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez on Sunday.

The English FA confirmed Cole has escaped further sanction, given referee Phil Dowd punished the England international with a yellow card for the offence, meaning he cannot be suspended for the same indiscretion under FIFA rules.

The tackle – made in United’s penalty area – caught manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s ire, with the Scot labelling the lunge as ‘shocking’ and questioning why a penalty was not awarded for a foul in the box.

Hernandez limped off the pitch after the controversial incident, and the Mexico international could yet be on the sidelines for several weeks as he awaits scans on the injured leg.