Blackpool boss Simon Grayson is hopeful Stephen McPhee will escape a ban for his sending off during the club's pre-season tour in Latvia.McPhee was shown red after a tangle during the 4-0 defeat to Skonto Riga, but Blackpool were allowed to bring on a substitute to keep the game evenly balanced.

The 27-year-old could be let off from a ban if referee Aleksandrs Olubevs does not include the incident in his report - although Grayson believes the incident should serve as a warning to McPhee.

"Stephen has got to be careful because in England he might have had a three-match ban off the back of it," he told the club's official website.

"It's frustrating because the referee could have quite easily warned him or given him a yellow card, but he sent him off.

"Obviously we are trying to make sure that doesn't count towards an official ban."

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