Football League World
·9 October 2024
Football League World
·9 October 2024
Milutin Osmajic bit Owen Beck in a recent Championship fixture and the pair could face each other next week on the international stage
It's fair to say that it's been an eventful couple of weeks for Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic, and the Montenegro international recently received an eight-match ban by the FA for biting Blackburn Rovers man Owen Beck.
The 25-year-old actually played two more games after biting Beck on the 22nd September, scoring a brace in Preston's 3-0 win against Watford, but he started his suspension on Saturday as his side drew 0-0 away to Burnley.
While Osmajic won't be able to play for the Lilywhites until the 23rd November, he's still able to play for his country during the upcoming international break, and Montenegro boss Robert Prosinečki has named him in the squad that travels to Turkey and Wales this week.
However, Beck, the victim of Osmajic's bite, has been named in the Wales squad, meaning there's the potential for a rather awkward reunion next Monday in Cardiff.
Football has funny ways of throwing up unlikely scenarios like this, and it looks as if Beck and Osmajic will come face-to-face again in Cardiff next week, just 22 days after the biting incident.
If both players are selected, Beck could well have to mark Osmajic, which would be box office viewing, and it adds a narrative to an already important game for both nations.
Osmajic often plays on the wing for his country, meaning if Beck is selected at left-back they'll be coming up against each other all night, and even if they are both on the bench, they'll still likely have to face each other at some point, whether it be during the match or in the tunnel.
Beck is still yet to win his first cap for Wales, but if manager Craig Bellamy was to freshen the squad up, there's no reason why he wouldn't be included to play against Montenegro, and perhaps the chance to come up against Osmajic would be something that appeals to the Liverpool loanee.
It'll be interesting to see whether there are any words between the pair should they come up against each other, and whether Beck would even shake his hand after the unsavoury incident on the 22nd September.
Should the pair be selected on Monday night, you can guarantee that supporters of both Preston and Blackburn Rovers will be tuning in to see whether there are any further flashpoints between them, and you can guarantee that both players will be fully aware that there's a possibility that they could have to face each other sooner than expected.
If Beck is selected by Bellamy, it would be a huge night for him for a number of reasons, and coming up against Osmajic could just add an extra dimension to that.
The game between Preston and Blackburn had boiled over, and Beck was actually sent off despite Osmajic's bite, showing there was absolutely no need for him to get involved and take matters into his own hands.
An eight-game ban means he will miss an important chunk of Preston's season, and he's also been fined £15,000 for violent conduct. When you consider Preston are one of the lowest division, losing a forward is far from ideal, and Paul Heckingbottom surely won't be happy with the 25-year-old.
Thankfully, biting incidents are rare in English football, but when they do happen, the FA come down hard as a deterrent, and Osmajic will fully be aware of that now.
Blackburn reportedly sent a 22-page dossier to the FA in a bid to ensure that Osmajic received sufficient punishment, and eight games is perhaps quite short when you consider Liverpool man Luis Suárez had a ten-game ban back in 2013 for biting Branislav Ivanovic.
Unfortunately for Osmajic, this won't be forgotten in a hurry, and he's sure to get a frosty reception at Ewood Park later this season, and potentially in Cardiff next week if he comes up against Beck.
It was a moment of madness from the Montenegro international, and he could be set for a rather awkward reunion on Monday night.