Sunderland boss Roy Keane dismissed Dickson Etuhu's bust-up with Newcastle's Joey Barton at halftime of their 1-1 draw.
He said: "I am not going to get bogged down by a tackle that was slightly high. That happens in these games, a lot of them are mistimed.
"You give and you take. Dickson is a tough lad. He is alive in that dressing room, he won't be leaving on a stretcher."