Sunderland face Everton in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Everton boss David Moyes has hit out at the decision to not overturn a red card shown to defender Michael Keane in midweek ahead of his side’s FA Cup third round clash with Sunderland on Saturday lunchtime.

The Toffees centre-back was dismissed for an apparent hair pull on Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare on Wednesday evening, and will now serve a three-game suspension as a result, starting with this weekend’s tie at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Shortly after Keane’s sending off against Rob Edwards’ relegation-threatened side, winger Jack Grealish was also given his marching orders for a second yellow card - a decision that Moyes was less aggrieved by.

But speaking in a pre-match press conference on Friday morning, the Everton boss pulled no punches in his assessment of the call to uphold Keane’s ban. He said: “[I am] Hugely disappointed, hugely surprised. Probably more angry with the panel who chose it, they thought that was the case, because there's a panel which sits and does it and looks at it, and I have to question the three of them. And I know who the three of them are on the panel.

“I'm absolutely amazed that they didn't in some way overturn it. But to say it's violent conduct, we've just seen a game last night [Arsenal vs Liverpool] where it's okay to throw a ball at somebody, it's okay to probably push them and lift them up and pick them up, maybe with a bad injury [Gabriel Martinelli on Conor Bradley]. But you know, having a little pull of somebody's hair accidentally means that that would be a three game ban. It's quite extraordinary for me.

“It's three games... It shouldn't have even been any games. But I'm more embarrassed for whoever was on VAR. This was a young referee doing only his third or fourth game, and VAR gave him a terrible decision. VAR didn't need to get involved in that at all. So I'm more embarrassed for whoever it was at VAR. Looking for the smallest things, they are - and probably things which I don't think anybody would have really paid any interest in, in any ways.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

What is the latest Everton team news ahead of Sunderland?

Those two red cards in midweek only add to an ever-growing list of absentees on Merseyside, with Moyes also admitting that he is not expecting to welcome any of his injured cohort back in time to face Sunderland.

He said: “In some occasions we have to blame ourselves. It's not everybody else's fault for it. We've also got our own injuries. We've got people at AFCON. We've got players sent off who shouldn't have been sent off. So we're not here blaming everybody else. We get ready for another game.”

When asked if the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Charly Alacaraz, or Jarrad Branthwaite could be in contention to feature on Saturday, Moyes responded: “No, none of those players are available. As I said, Jarrad’s back on the grass, going well. So hopefully he's not too far away.”

Elsewhere, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are both away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, while Seamus Coleman is currently sidelined with a hamstring complaint.

Your next Sunderland read: Sunderland defender makes dressing room pledge after Brentford disappointment