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Stoke's Jonathan Walters: Spit at me and you'd be eating through a straw

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Van Gaal defends Evans character (0:57)

Louis van Gaal and John Carver both claimed not to have seen or spoken about the spitting incident between Papiss Cisse and Jonny Evans. (0:57)

Stoke City striker Jonathan Walters has told talkSPORT that any player who spat at him would be "eating his supper through a straw" afterwards.

Papiss Cisse and Jonny Evans have both been hit with a Football Association charge for allegedly spitting at each other on Wednesday.

Manchester United defender Evans issued a statement on Thursday denying he spat at the Newcastle striker, although Cisse apologised for his actions.

Both players face automatic six-match suspensions if they are found guilty of spitting, as a result of new FIFA guidelines.

Cisse chose to accept the ban rather than appeal. He is likely to be handed an extended suspension after accepting a violent conduct charge for elbowing Everton's Seamus Coleman earlier in the season, again on video evidence.

Walters, 31, has admitted that players use a number of tactics to gain the upper hand on opponents, but believes spitting "is the lowest of the low."

He said on Thursday: "As a player you take anything off the ball; pinches and kicks that are meant to wind you up. Little things like that go on in any match.

"But spitting is pretty low. If it happened to me and someone spat at my face or towards me then I think he'd be eating his supper through a straw that night.

"I wouldn't be that happy. It's the lowest of the low."

The incident came after Cisse reacted angrily to a challenge by Evans. Match referee Anthony Taylor allowed play to continue and was facing the ball as the two men clashed, with television replays capturing the alleged spitting.

Evans wrote on Thursday: "Having woken up this morning I am shocked to have seen the media coverage from last night's match. I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse.

"I was totally unaware of any spitting incident and had assumed that the issue at the time was with the challenge and his attempted retaliation to the tackle from the floor. During the game Papiss Cisse and I spoke about the incident and it is clear by my reaction in the television footage that I was totally surprised by any suggestion of spitting.

"It is not in my character or in my nature to spit at anybody nor is it something I have ever done or would ever do. It is certainly not something that I did last night."

Cisse followed Evans' statement by issuing an apology for his actions, saying: "I reacted to something I found very unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard not to react, particularly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be a positive a role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down.

"I hope children out there playing football for their clubs and schools this weekend will know better than to retaliate when they are angry. Perhaps when they see the problem it now causes me and my team they will be able to learn from my mistake, not copy it."

Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley said: "Both ourselves and Papiss agree that this kind of behaviour is not acceptable. In life, when you do something wrong you have to front up, admit your mistakes and accept the punishment. Papiss was proactive this morning in making a full and heartfelt apology, which he did in advance of any notification from the FA regarding this charge."

Before the ruling came down Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said he didn't believe the FA would ban Evans, telling a news conference: "As I've said in [Wednesday's] news conference, Jonny was not aware that he was spitting. It's a natural thing for a human being, it wasn't his intention."

ESPN FC correspondent Richard Jolly contributed to this report.