I don't know why I was sent off - Liverpool star Mascherano confused by Old Trafford red card

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Javier Mascherano protested his innocence over his Old Trafford sending-off yesterday but could still face internal action from Liverpool as well as a Football Association misconduct charge.

The FA's disciplinary panel are due to meet today to consider extending Mascherano's ban from one match to three, and manager Rafa Benitez will turn his attention to his fiery midfielder's loss of control later in the week and decide whether it warrants a club fine.

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Though the £60,000-a-week anchor man is unlikely to incur the maximum sanction of being docked a fortnight's pay, Benitez may feel he has violated Liverpool's code of conduct and impose a lesser penalty.

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Surprised: Javier Mascherano is shown the red card by referee Steve Bennett

As he awaited his fate, prior to joining up with Argentina's squad in Egypt, Liverpool's £19million signing argued that he had been harshly treated by referee Steve Bennett, who showed him a second yellow card for dissent just before half-time, in Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Manchester United.

"I do not know why I was sent off," he said. "I asked the referee what was happening, that was all. I did not swear, I was not aggressive and I did not confront him. All I did was ask him what was happening. Nothing else.

"So when he showed me a second yellow card, I could not believe it.

"I am sorry to my team-mates, because it meant we went down to 10 men, and that made things difficult for us, but I still don't know what I did for that to happen."

Mascherano had already been booked for a foul when he raced over to Bennett to protest against a caution for Fernando Torres and was given his marching orders.

An automatic one-match suspension could be tripled today after he repeatedly tried to argue with the Kent official before being forcibly led away.

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Anger: Javier Mascherano is escorted from the pitch by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez

The FA are sure to take a dim view of his antics, particularly in the current climate of players being urged to show referees greater respect, and may well extend his absence to include the games against Arsenal and Blackburn, on top of Sunday's crucial derby with Everton.

For all Benitez's post-match support for Mascherano's 'professionalism', he will at least consider adding a further punishment, particularly after rushing to the touchline and bellowing at the midfielder in an attempt to prevent his ill-advised exchange with Bennett.

Though Mascherano was widely condemned for failing to sense the danger of continually disputing decisions, his team-mate John Arne Riise insisted Bennett could have handled the situation better and should have summoned skipper Steven Gerrard to issue a final warning.

"I don't know exactly what was said between Javier and Bennett, but the ref should have called Stevie over before it got that far," said the Liverpool defender.

With defeat piling even more pressure on Benitez, ahead of the showdown with their main rivals for fourth place, he could have done without an injury scare over Torres, who went off with a variety of bumps and bruises.

There were fears Torres may have cracked a rib, but they were allayed after he was allowed to link up with Spain's squad for tomorrow's match with Italy.

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