Thatcher suspended by City

Manchester City have suspended Ben Thatcher for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership encounter with Arsenal.

The former Wales defender has faced a barrage of criticism for his disgusting elbows-first challenge on Pedro Mendes on Wednesday.

And after a meeting with the player and City chairman John Wardle, manager Stuart Pearce has taken the matter into his own hands.

“Manchester City can confirm that Ben Thatcher has been suspended from first team action pending the results of the club’s internal investigation into the incident involving Pedro Mendes during the game with Portsmouth on Wednesday,” said a City statement.

“The player will miss tomorrow’s home fixture with Arsenal. Ben Thatcher fully agrees with this decision.”