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The Everton midfielder was given a warm ovation from his fellow squad members after issuing an apology for his extraordinary dismissal during Monday's victory at Manchester United.

Rare Incident in Premier League

The midfielder became the initial Premier League player to be sent off for striking a teammate in nearly two decades when he struck his defensive colleague during the match. The Toffees' display was remarkable as they played with 10 men for 85 minutes, including stoppage time, to achieve David Moyes' first win at Old Trafford as a away coach in multiple tries.

'I want to apologise first to Michael Keane,' Gueye stated on his accounts. 'I accept complete responsibility for my actions.'

Dressing Room Response

The Senegalese international was unable to secure an chance to converse with Moyes or his teammates at half-time. Following the match, with the visitors' locker room celebrating after the narrow victory, the 36-year-old requested to address the whole team and Keane specifically.

• Gueye apologized to Keane for striking him across the face
• The intense early altercation occurred after a poor distribution in his own penalty area
• He also said sorry to the squad for putting them with a difficult challenge
• His apology were positively accepted by the players

Possible Consequences

The 36-year-old could still be punished by Everton despite the manager's admission that he likes his players competing with each other. The Scot has a standard punishment process for dismissals and cautions, including financial penalties, which is expected to be applied in this situation.

Ban and National Team Duty

The Merseyside club may find themselves without their key midfielder until the January. The Senegalese international will serve a three-game ban against Newcastle, AFC Bournemouth and Forest but could be called up for AFCON duty by his national team before he can return to play against Chelsea on mid-December.

'Emotions can run high,' Gueye continued. 'But nothing justifies such behaviour.'

Rival Reaction

Meanwhile, Mathijs de Ligt accused United of lacking immediacy in the recent defeat, which ended their unbeaten run at five games.

• 'The Premier League is not for the weak,' stated the Netherlands international
• 'We lacked that urgency to score goals,'
• 'Against a team like Everton,' that defend deep it's difficult

United head to Selhurst Park for Sunday's lunchtime start. 'The next game is really important now,' commented the defender. 'We must recover strongly from this display.'