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Newcastle head coach John Carver has admitted he could not defend striker Papiss Cisse after he spat at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans in retaliation. The 29-year-old Senegal international will begin a seven-match ban on Sunday when his team-mates travel to Everton in the Premier League after accepting a Football Association improper conduct charge. Both men were charged on video evidence after Evans -- who denied, but was convicted of, the offence -- appeared to spit at the frontman and he reacted in kind, with Cisse sitting out one more match having already served a suspension for an earlier misdemeanour. Carver admitted he did not know how he would have reacted in similar circumstances, but did not condone his player's actions. He said: "The fact that Papiss owned up to it straight away, I wasn't going to sit here and defend him. I sat with him and I said, 'Listen, I can't defend you on this, you've done wrong and have to accept whatever punishment you get.' "There's no place in the game for it. When you've played the game, it's one of the lowest forms of anything you can do on the pitch. A lot of players would have acted differently. "He was provoked, and retaliating in the same manner is just as bad." Cisse's absence could prove hugely costly to the Magpies, who have relied heavily on Cisse's 11 goals during a season which has been interrupted by injury and a trip to the African Nations Cup. They currently sit comfortably in mid-table but are still intent on a top-10 finish, which could prove difficult without the firepower he supplies. Carver said: "He was a loss [when he was] at the African Nations Cup, and he's a loss now as our main attacking threat. "But this is a chance for others now and they've got to step up to the plate. We're putting a team out now that's giving people opportunities for people to score goals. "We're getting in crosses. Manu Riviere needs one goal and he could go on a run. He never gives up and he's just got to take one, and the fact he's working hard and getting chances, that's the important bit. "It's an opportunity for these guys to get a place in the team."
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