The FA has charged Matheus Cunha following his red card against Bournemouth, alleging the Wolves forward acted in an “improper manner”.
Cunha was dismissed for violent conduct in the final minute of extra-time during Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie, which Bournemouth won on penalties, after lashing out and appearing to aim at a headbutt at Milos Kerkez.
Wolves’ stand-in captain initially refused to leave the field after being shown the card by referee Sam Barrott and had to be dragged down the tunnel.
Cunha is subsequently facing a three-match ban but the punishment may yet increase after this latest charge. Cunha has until Monday March 10 to provide a response.
Cunha has already been banned for two games and fined £80,000 this season after a post-match altercation with a member of Ipswich Town’s security staff in December.
Sky Sports News understands that previous suspension will not have a knock-on effect and lead to any additional punishment for Cunha on top of the ban he will receive for the red card against Bournemouth.
But the nature of Saturday’s outburst may be deemed worthy of greater sanction and any further retrospective punishment risks derailing Wolves’ survival bid.
Last week, Liverpool manager Arne Slot – alongside his assistant Sipke Hulshoff – was handed a two-game touchline ban for “acting in an improper manner and using insulting and/or abusive words and behaviour towards both the match referee and an assistant referee” following the Merseyside derby draw to Everton.
Slot and his assistant were also handed fines of £70,000 and £7,000 respectively.
“It’s a full house,” Paul Merson said of the Cunha red card on Soccer Saturday as he watched on. “There’s a kick, a shove and a headbutt.”
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira said: “In this game the emotional side was very high and not only inside the pitch, but on the bench and in the stands, everywhere and a lot of pressure.
“In the end, it happens what can happen. It should not happen but this is something that happens in football.”
Cunha later apologised on Instagram, writing: “In the end, another game where you guys did your best. I couldn’t lose my head at the end. Sorry.”
In pictures: Cunha’s moment of madness
How costly could Cunha ban be?
Wolves are currently 17th in the Premier League – five points above the drop zone.
But Pereira’s side face a crucial period of fixtures, with games looming against Everton and West Ham above them and Ipswich immediately below them.
Cunha has been Wolves’ talisman this season, topping the charts for a string of attacking metrics as well as scoring 15 goals.
“Matheus is a special player,” Pereira admitted when asked about his importance.
Pereira will be without him until at least that meeting with Ipswich on April 5 – and will hope Wolves’ position has not by then become more perilous.
Wolves’ next six fixtures
March 8: Everton (h)
March 15: Southampton (a)
April 1: West Ham (h)
April 5: Ipswich (a)
April 12: Tottenham Hotspur (h)
April 19: Man Utd (a)