Ciaran Clark punches opponent during Newcastle’s friendly match in Saudi Arabia

Newcastle secured a 2-1 victory against Al-Ittihad

Newcastle defender Ciaran Clark was sent off for punching an opponent during a friendly in Saudi Arabia.

The Republic of Ireland international was shown a straight red after lashing out at Al-Ittihad striker Abdo Hamdallah, who was also dismissed following the incident.

Eddie Howe’s side secured a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser before flying back to Tyneside on Saturday.

Clark attempted to sprint past Hamdallah, but he was stopped in his tracks and the pair got tangled battling for the ball. When they both fell to the floor, it appeared that the Newcastle man threw a punch at his opponent.

The 32-year-old was shown red in front of co-owner Amanda Staveley, Saudi dignitaries and the UK’s Saudi ambassador Neil Crompton.

Ciaran Clark red card? 😬#NUFC

https://t.co/Sdq5aFGZtm

— NUFCblog.co.uk (@NUFCblogcouk) January 28, 2022

However, both Clark and Hamdallah were all smiles at the end of the match as they were pictured together having swapped shirts.

Speaking on the incident, Howe said: “There is no need for the red card. The referee could have dealt with it in a different way, but by the book, it’s probably the right decision.”

The ex-Bournemouth boss stated that the training camp in Jeddah had been a resounding success – with the squad bonding in the Saudi desert and meeting the new owners.

The Magpies – who currently sit 18th in the Premier League table – are looking to add reinforcements before the transfer window shuts on Monday, and they are thought to retain an interest in Jesse Lingard and Brighton’s Dan Burn.