Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will hit Ashley Young with a £50,000 fine for his dismissal against Sunderland.

Villa's man-of-the-moment is facing a fine of a week's wages after his reckless lunge on Dean Whitehead.

O'Neill said: "The last thing I want to do is defend a sending-off that I have no complaints with.

"If I'm going to defend him - it's not Ashley. But once you go two-footed like that, it's a sending-off.

"The refs have been clamping down and I'm right behind them.

"I'm sure I will take some internal disciplinary action."