Blackburn's Beck 'has bite mark' after Osmajic clash

Preston North End forward Milutin Osmajic could face a lengthy ban after allegedly biting Owen Beck during their Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers.

Beck, on loan from Liverpool, was sent off in the 89th minute of the 0-0 draw at Deepdale after kicking out at Preston's Duane Holmes.

After the melee which followed, Beck furiously protested to referee Matthew Donohue that he had been bitten by Osmajic, who was given a yellow card.

Television replays appeared to show Osmajic, 25, biting the 22-year-old on his upper back.

Blackburn manager John Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Owen's got a big bite mark on the back of his neck and it's a shame the referee didn't see that."

Luis Suarez, then of Liverpool, received a 10-match ban in 2013 for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.

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Both teams ended the match with 10 men - Preston's Sam Greenwood was sent off late in the first half for a crude challenge on Blackburn midfielder Lewis Baker.

Eustace said: "It's a very serious incident, no-one likes to be bitten.

"Everyone's angry about it. It's not a nice situation to be in. I'm sure the right people will see it and we'll take it from there.

"It's a local derby, there's blood and thunder and bodies on the line.

"Those [Greenwood's red card] are the challenges that you expect to see in a local derby. They'll be disappointed their lad's been sent off and we will be having a man sent off."

Osmajic, 25, was a record signing for North End when he arrived from Cadiz last year and has scored eight league goals for the club.

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom says he had not seen the incident when asked but told BBC Radio Lancashire: "All I can say is, there no place for that [biting] and we know you can't do that. Mistimed tackles and things like that are part and parcel of the game, you accept them.

"Anything that's not, we know how that's dealt with. But I've not seen anything so I'm just going off [the media] saying there's an incident.

"I can see why Greenwood's challenge is a red. I've seen far worse tackles in the Sunderland game yesterday and they ended up with 11 men and won the game 1-0.

"I think the decisions are pretty easy ones. If that's going to be a red then no problem."