Olsson faces FA probe after Green challenge

Green required treatment when he attempted to claim a cross, which was headed against the bar by Albion's Shelton Martis, in the second half of the goal-less draw at Upton Park.

Green said: "Luckily it was on a sturdy part of my face rather than an eye socket or my nose. That could have done me some proper damage but I'll live to fight another day."

Referee Mark Halsey took no action at the time and the FA will receive his match report today. If he confirms he missed the incident action can be taken against Olsson and former official Graham Poll was adamant the challenge warranted a red card.

He said: "Olsson comes in with his arm. He is looking, knows where Green is and catches him across the chin. If seen, it is a red card offence — it was deliberate."

The clash was the only talking point of the match which was watched by Hammers owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.

The Icelander had hoped yesterday's announcement that the Hammers are to pay Sheffield United a £15million out-of-court settlement over the next five years would have brought an end to the Carlos Tevez affair.

But former Blades boss Neil Warnock, now in charge of Crystal Palace, has vowed not to let the matter drop and wants to take personal action against West Ham.

"I'll be looking into this now," he said. "I just wanted to see the club's case out of the way first.

"As far as I'm concerned, I should still be a Premier League manager. And I think the players have a case, too."

Warnock also reiterated his view that Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore should have resigned over the affair and believes a bigger club would have been treated differently. "I think Scudamore is an absolute disgrace," Warnock told the Daily Mail. "I'd love to get him in a room on my own for an hour, no holds barred.

"If it was any other club, Scudamore would have made sure the facts came out. I find it amazing that he has kept his job."

Chris Farnell, a lawyer from IPS Law in Manchester, confirmed that players from the Blades team that was relegated two years ago also intend to pursue a claim.

Farnell said he had been in contact with some of the aggrieved players who would have expected to have been paid bonuses for keeping the Blades in the Premier League.

"The players' claim will continue independently," he said. "We have made correspondence with West Ham's lawyers as recently as the end of last week."

West Ham still have to negotiate a joint FA and Premier League inquiry on the affair, and Green revealed the players are desperate to put the saga behind them.

"There's only so much you can absorb before you lose interest," he said.