John Carver says he will look at the footage of Papiss Cissé’s clash with Jonny Evans before deciding what action to take.

The Newcastle United manager admitted after his side’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United that he was aware of the spitting allegations but would need to study television replays of the incident.

Evans and Cissé are likely to find themselves in hot water for the first-half altercation, with the Football Association almost certain to intervene.

Carver said: “I am aware of the incident. The guys on TV made me aware. I just saw a fracas on the halfway line. I need to look it.”

Louis van Gaal, who along with the referee, Anthony Taylor, did not see the incident, was quick to leap to the defence of Evans. “I didn’t see that from the bench,” said the Manchester United manager. “It’s too far to see spitting, so I cannot judge that. But I cannot imagine that Jonny Evans, because he is a very modest person, that he could do that. I cannot imagine.”

Van Gaal left St James’ Park a happy man after seeing Ashley Young snatch victory at the death when Tim Krul could only hack Mehdi Abeid’s ill-judged back-pass into his path.