Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is yet to make a decision on Lee Cattermole's captaincy.
On the captaincy issue, there have been calls for Bruce to act, because Sunderland can't afford to have a figurehead who is suspended so often and regularly catching the eye of officials.
But he said: "I'll just let him stew because no-one is more gutted and upset at what's happened than Lee himself. I won't be railroaded into making a decision. I'll just let the dust settle. I have not had to do anything because he is not available for Saturday and the following Tuesday.
"There have been plenty of competitive midfield players who have learnt their lesson, but too often we are talking about Cattermole and his discipline rather than the football player.
"I still hold him in highest regard even though he has let himself and his team-mates down. Unless he is careful he will be always hounded by this reputation of being the so-called dirty player, which is certainly not him.
"We've gone through the tapes and of the five fouls Lee has committed this season, he has been booked for four of them.
"For me there is not a witch-hunt, that's the wrong word, but he is certainly targeted. He made his first challenge after 25 minutes and it was yellow carded, which is harsh, but after that he has to think about what he is doing.
"You don't want to take away the competitive edge but you want to take away the rashness or silliness when he is on a yellow card. I genuinely didn't have to say anything because there was no-one more gutted than he was and you could see that from the moment he made the tackle to the moment he was sent off.
"He let himself and everyone else down and we are now preparing for a huge game against Arsenal on Saturday night and he can't play."