Ciaran Clark was sent off for Newcastle after punching an opponent in a friendly game against Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
The Republic of Ireland international got involved in a jostling match on the ground with Abderazak Hamdallah before swiftly turning and striking him in the face.
The referee quickly asserted himself and gave Clark his marching orders for the punch.
It marks the second time Clark has seen red for the Magpies this season, with another sending off coming against fellow Premier League strugglers Norwich City back in November.
Clark has made 14 appearances for Newcastle so far this season, however the club have been actively pursuing central defenders throughout the January transfer window.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe accepted that Clark's misdemenaour was a red by the letter of the law.
He said: “Both sides were very keen to play the game in the right spirit.
“I thought there was a couple of difficult moments for the referee. There was no need for the red card, I thought he could have dealt with it in a different way but by the book it was probably the right decision.
“I thought it was a good workout. I thought the standard of game was good, I thought the opposition were good. It was a good test for us and when you play a game that is what you want.”
Aside from Clark's incident, it was a good evening's work for Newcastle who won 2-1 thanks to goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser.
