FABINHO will escape an FA ban for diving because regulations do not cover simulation outside the penalty area.

The Liverpool star conned ref Andre Marriner into awarding a controversial late free-kick which led to their crucial winning goal against Newcastle.

Despite tumbling to the ground with no contact from Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie, and Jurgen Klopp’s side scoring as a result, there is nothing disciplinary chiefs can do to punish the Brazilian.

Under FA regulations, successful deception of a match official charges only relate to alleged acts of simulation that either led to a penalty or an opponent being sent off for a red or second yellow card.

They do not relate to free kicks in general, leaving the 25-year-old in the clear to figure in the final day clash at home to Wolves with the Premier League title on the line.

Former Liverpool players Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness, both working for Sky Sports, agreed the contact was not enough to warrant a foul.

Souness said: "The free kick in the lead up to the third goal shouldn't have been given. Matt Ritchie will be cursing this.

"How the linesman can give it. You don't fall like that! That isn't a foul.

"What is the linesman seeing there that he can possibly give a foul for?

Carragher said: "I felt like he gave it not because it was a foul but when someone has a nibble, he got really tight.

"If Fabinho had gone done for the first touch then he would have got the free kick so the foul was almost given for the first contact rather than the end when he threw himself to the floor.

"It was stupid from Ritchie and clever from Fabinho."

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