Bruce insists Fredericks should have been sent off

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce felt Fulham’s Ryan Fredericks should also have been sent off in the incident which saw Jonathan Kodjia dismissed at Craven Cottage.

Kodjia was dismissed for a kick out at Fredericks during the first half of Villa’s 3-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.

But television replays showed Fredericks had left a leg in first, and Bruce was not happy that fourth official Michael Salisbury identified Kodjia as the sole guilty party.

“It was the fourth official, who asked me four times to step into my technical area in the first 12 minutes, that gave the decision on Kodjia,” Bruce said.

“He’s missed the first kick at Kodjia by their full-back and that’s provoked him (Kodjia), but it’s not a kick that’s for sure.

“If he was going to send off Kodjia, then he has to send off their boy. It was a poor decision.”

Bruce said he hoped Villa would appeal the suspension, which would otherwise rule Kodjia out of the club’s last three games of the season.

“It can’t be deemed as violent conduct, surely? So we’ll have to see,” Bruce said.

“I hope he [referee David Coote] looks at it because he didn’t give it, the fourth official did – and if he had concentrated on the incident rather than me with my technical area then he might have got the decision right.

“If he blatantly kicks him than I understand it, but it wasn’t the case.”