The France defender should be banned after swinging an elbow at Oswaldo Minda during the goalless draw with Ecuador at the Maracana on Wednesday

By Greg Stobart at the Estadio Maracana

The news agenda over the last 24 hours has been dominated by Luis Suarez’s cannibalistic attempt to sink his teeth into an opponent’s shoulder.

The Uruguay striker will soon learn his fate and is facing a lengthy ban for the latest indiscretion on a lengthy rap sheet. Anything from six games to two years has been suggested as the potential punishment. He has set his own precedent, and is indefensible.

But an incident here at the Maracana during France’s goalless draw with Ecuador might provide some perspective amid the hysteria.

In the first-half, France defender Mamadou Sakho viciously swung his elbow at Oswaldo Minda as he defended a corner. Fortunately the contact was not as strong as Sakho intended and Minda was able to escape relatively unharmed and with his nose intact.

Yet the potential for serious damage was there. What would you rather – a few bite marks on your shoulder or a shattered jaw?

Suarez’s indiscretion is deemed worse because it is shocking in its nature and socially unacceptable. Much like spitting at an opponent, the physical damage is not the barometer of its severity.

In most circumstances, it would be a one-off. The fact that Suarez has now bitten an opponent on three separate occasions has only fuelled the situation. The Liverpool striker’s World Cup will likely be over – but his club team-mate Sakho should not kick another ball in Brazil either.

As they did with Suarez, Fifa need to review the video evidence and throw the book at Sakho with a ban of at least three matches for violent conduct. There is no possible defence. He was not challenging in the air for a 50-50, it was calculated and pre-meditated.

Didier Deschamps might reflect anyway that a central defensive combination of Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane would be more trustworthy for France’s last 16 clash against Nigeria in Brasilia on Monday. Sakho could have no complaints if Les Bleus’ coach makes that choice.

Referee Noumandiez Doue missed Sakho’s elbow, but in the 50th minute made the correct decision to send off Antonio Valencia for a studs-up challenge on Lucas Digne.

The Ecuador captain may have been going for the ball, but it was dangerous, as well he would know, as a player who once spent six months on the sidelines with a broken ankle.

It was the kind of challenge we see on an almost weekly basis in European leagues, the sort pundits would describe as a leg-breaker. Fortunately, Digne was able to continue – but again he will feel far more sore than Giorgio Chiellini.

The Suarez situation is unique, but violent play is far more of an everyday issue that football authorities must address.

They can begin by starting disciplinary proceedings against Sakho so that he, like Suarez, gets the punishment he deserves.

Alejandro Balbi, who represents the Liverpool striker, has bemoaned outside interference from the media in European countries

Luis Suarez’s lawyer has blamed England and Italy for the hype surrounding the Uruguayan striker’s latest controversy.

The Liverpool forward has been accused of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder in his side’s 1-0 victory in their final Group D match – the third time the striker has been involved in such an incident in his career.

However Suarez’s lawyer, Alejandro Balbi, has confirmed that they are working on a defence and has insisted the confrontation has been blown out of proportion as a result of the Liverpool man’s history.

“We don’t have any doubts that this has happened because it’s Suarez and secondly because Italy was eliminated,” Balbi, who is also a Uruguay FA board member, told local Uruguayan radio.

“There’s a lot of pressure from England and Italy. We’re polishing off a defence argument.

“There is a possibility that they ban him, because there are precedents, but we’re convinced that it was an absolutely casual play, because if Chiellini can show a scratch on one shoulder, Suarez can show a bruised and almost shut eye.

“If every player starts showing the injuries he suffers and they open inquiries for them everything will be way too complicated in the future. We’re going to use all the arguments possible so that Luis gets out in the best possible way.”

The Independent Disciplinary Committee of world football’s governing body will meet after 2100 CET to discuss the incident and hopes to reach a decision “as soon as possible”

By Liam Twomey at Estadio Maracana

Fifa insists its Independent Disciplinary Committee will work to reach a decision on the biting allegations levelled at Luis Suarez “as soon as possible”.

TV footage appeared to show the Liverpool star sink his teeth into Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder during Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy in Natal on Tuesday.

Suarez was not punished by referee Marco Rodriguez during the match despite Chiellini pulling down his shirt to reveal what appeared to be bite marks on his shoulder.

But Fifa confirmed on Tuesday evening that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against Suarez and the Disciplinary Committee will meet after 2100 CET to discuss the case, using video evidence to reach their decision.

Uruguay face Colombia in the World Cup round of 16 in the Maracana on Saturday and in a press briefing at the stadium on Wednesday morning, Fifa’s head of media Delia Fischer insisted the Disciplinary Committee is aware of the “urgency” of the case, “particularly as Uruguay are still in the competition”.

Fischer refused to speculate on the possibility of a Uruguay appeal, but article 118 of Fifa’s disciplinary code states there is no right of appeal against suspensions of less than three matches or up to two months.

Some have suggested that Suarez could receive a global ban which affects his availability for Liverpool, and Fifa says the “duration and scope” of any suspension is at the committee’s discretion.

The committee also reserves the right to take past offences into consideration – Suarez was banned for seven games in November 2010 for biting PSV midfielder gand received a 10-game suspension in April 2013 for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.