Preston North End midfielder Jordan Thompson is expected to be charged with misconduct after kicking a bottle at Norwich City fans in fury during their Championship match.

Keith Hackett, former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee, told Football Insider that the Northern Ireland international might risk a ban if the authorities take serious action.

Thompson reacted angrily after being replaced in the 65th minute of Preston’s 2-0 loss to Norwich at Carrow Road on Saturday.

His anger got the best of him, and he kicked a water bottle at some Norwich fans, one of whom looked to be hit in the head by the flying object.

The 29-year-old promptly apologized to the home fans for his actions, but because the incident was not witnessed by any officials, he could be prosecuted retroactively.

Jordan Thompson may face a ban, warns Keith Hackett.

There is precedent for such situations, with former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho being punished with improper conduct and given a one-match touchline suspension by the FA in 2016 after kicking a bottle in rage.

Jhon Duran was fined £15,000 for a similar incident when playing for Aston Villa last January, but it’s unclear how Thompson will be punished.

His previous disciplinary record is pretty clean, with five yellows and no reds so far this season, but Hackett has told Football Insider that the Preston man may face a punishment because of how he kicked the bottle at the home supporters.

He stated, “If the authorities discover this, he will most likely be charged with misbehavior.

“Managers who did similar things in the past have received touchline suspensions.

“The fact that he kicked the bottle towards the fans, if picked up, will see a ban imposed.”

What are Preston’s prospects of relegation this season?

Preston lost their fifth defeat in six games at Carrow Road on Saturday, and their dreams for early-season promotion have all but vanished in recent months.

They are now in a relegation battle, despite some excellent winter activity, which saw Football Insider announce that Andrew Moran was due to sign for Preston on loan from Brighton.

Paul Heckingbottom’s team is 10 points outside the drop zone, but they are still being favored to avoid relegation in 18th position, with Opta’s supercomputer giving them a minuscule 0.30 percent chance of finishing in the bottom three this season.

They will undoubtedly need to start producing results soon to ensure their survival, but Thompson may be unavailable for the visit of his former club Stoke City on Friday.