SAFC NewsWipe: Djilobodji charged - let's hope Kone comes back soon! & Khazri in action tonight

Papy Djilobodji Charged With Violent conduct

Sunderland centre-half Papy Djilobodji is facing a potential four-match ban after being charged by the FA with violent conduct. The Senegalese defender appeared to take a swing at West Bromwich midfielder Darren Fletcher in Saturday's defeat at the Hawthorns. Referee Craig Pawson originally missed the incident despite the Baggies midfielder's protestations.

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

But the incident was picked up on video replays which will now be studied by an FA panel.

Phil Thompson who was covering the game on Sky Sports howled with outrage at the time on Soccer Saturday.

If found guilty and handed the maximum punishment, Sunderland will be without the £8m summer signing for games against Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Southampton and Everton, with no return until March. Djilobodji has until 6pm Tuesday to respond.

With the likelihood of a ban for the centre-half, all Sunderland eyes will turn to Gabon tomorrow night as Ivory Coast take on Morocco in the African Cup of Nations. Defeat for Lamine Kone's countrymen may yet see him back and available for the Tottenham match next Tuesday. However, it's still unclear whether he's actually fit or not.

Kone has not appeared in any of Ivory Coast's games at the tournament so far after suffering injury on New Years Eve in Sunderland's game against Burnley. He had been expected to play in Friday's match against the Democratic Republic of Congo but didn't make the starting line-up.

Should Ivory Coast not progress tomorrow, the tournament will have been a disappointing one for Kone having sat out most or all of his nations' matches.

Many had been expecting the Sunderland centre-back to depart the Stadium of Light in the January transfer window, with Everton, West Ham and Crystal Palace said to be poised to swoop for him. As at today though, it's all quiet on the Kone-transfer grapevine.

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

Wahbi Khazri - He Takes A Good Free Kick, Watch Him Tonight

Wahbi Khazri is having a much better African Cup of Nations than he has had Premier League season so far. The Sunderland midfielder was the star of the show in Tunisia's last outing as they defeated fierce rivals Algeria by two goals to nil. He controlled the game and won a penalty.

Khazri's set-pieces were also top notch in that game, and after watching Sunderland's dire attempts at exploiting opportunities from free-kicks against West Brom on Saturday - it sure poses the notion that surely the man signed from Bordeaux last January could have done better than Sebastian Larsson and Co's efforts.

You can see how he gets on tonight on Eurosport 2 live from 6.45pm.