Early end looms for Hleb

Arsenal´s Alexander Hleb faces being banned for the rest of the season if the Football Association call for video evidence of his clash with Reading captain Graham Murty at Emirates Stadium.

Television replays appeared to show the Belarus star slapping Murty in the face in the second half of Arsenal´s 2-0 win on Saturday and although it was missed by referee Peter Walton and his assistants, it was spotlighted on BBC TV´s ´Match of the Day´.

An FA spokesman said: “The first thing is to wait and see the referee´s report but that is not necessarily the end of the matter.”