Jonjo Shelvey has been banned for five games and fined £100,000

Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is considering an appeal after being hit with a five-match ban.

An independent panel yesterday found the 24-year-old guilty of racially abusing Wolves player Romain Saiss in the Molineux side’s 2-0 Championship win at St James’s Park on September 17.

Shelvey, also fined £100,000 and ordered to take an education course, has a week in which to lodge an appeal against the suspension.

The 24-year-old strongly denied the FA misconduct charge. Two players, reportedly Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic, also backed his version of events.

Shelvey is alleged to have used a racial slur against Moroccan player Saiss. The incident was reported to match referee Tim Robinson by a team-mate of Saiss, who speaks limited English. The FA eventually charged Shelvey last month after a lengthy investigation into the allegation.

Shelvey and the club will study the “written reasons” for the verdict before making a decision on an appeal.

The final decision on any appeal will rest with Shelvey, who has been a influential player on the pitch this season.

In the meantime, the FA have set aside the ban, meaning that Shelvey will be available for the Boxing Day home game against Sheffield Wednesday if he chooses to contest the decision.