Southampton striker Charlie Austin has been given a two-match suspension for his rude gesture to Manchester City fans

Southampton striker Charlie Austin has been given a two-match suspension by the Football Association after making an offensive gesture to Manchester City fans last month.

Charlie Austin has been banned by the FA for his two-fingered gesture towards Manchester City fans.

Southampton striker Charlie Austin has been given a two-match suspension by the Football Association after making an offensive gesture to Manchester City fans last month.

The 29-year-old was charged by the FA for his actions after he was substituted during Southampton’s 3-1 defeat at St Mary’s on December 30. He admitted the FA charge in relation to the gesture and will now miss the Saints’ Premier League clash with Leicester and their FA Cup replay against Derby.

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Southampton are still in the relegation zone.

Austin, who received a yellow card for a foul 10 minutes before he was replaced, has featured in Southampton’s last four matches in all competitions and has scored three goals for the Saints this season.

His absence adds to manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s problems in attack, with Danny Ings and Michael Obafemi both set to miss the clash against Leicester with hamstring injuries.

Watford striker Troy Deeney has also been charged following comments he made about referee David Coote after his team’s 3-3 draw with Bournemouth on January 2.

Deeney was critical of Coote’s performance in the Premier League clash, and claimed in a BBC post-match interview the official had “bottled it on a few occasions”.

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Austin was originally booked during the game.

Originally published as Southampton striker Charlie Austin has been given a two-match suspension for his rude gesture to Manchester City fans