Milutin Osmajic faces suspension after headbutting Hull’s John Lundstram
Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic is facing yet another suspension after delivering a headbutt to Hull City midfielder John Lundstram during Tuesday evening’s Championship encounter at Deepdale, reports BritPanorama.
The incident occurred during stoppage time with Preston already trailing 3-0, as Osmajic first shoved Lundstram before headbutting him directly in view of referee Stephen Martin, who promptly issued a red card.
Osmajic, 26, was observed smiling initially after his dismissal before covering his face with his shirt while leaving the pitch. Manager Paul Heckingbottom condemned his forward’s behaviour in the strongest terms.
“A lack of discipline is totally unacceptable,” Heckingbottom stated to BBC Radio Lancashire following the defeat. The violent conduct charge is expected to result in an automatic three-match ban, which would bring Osmajic’s total suspensions to 20 matches across two seasons under Heckingbottom’s management.
This latest red card follows just four games after Osmajic completed a nine-match ban imposed in November for racially abusing Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri during a Championship fixture last year. A Regulatory Commission upheld the charge despite Osmajic’s denial, resulting in a £21,000 fine and mandatory education course alongside the lengthy suspension.
Prior to this, Osmajic served an eight-match ban last season for biting Blackburn’s Owen Beck on the neck. The melee following Tuesday’s headbutt also resulted in one staff member being dismissed from each club.
Heckingbottom expressed his disappointment with the forward, acknowledging that Osmajic had let the club down at a crucial moment in their campaign. “He has not cost us the game but we have got three big games coming up and we are a striker down,” said the Preston boss. “In my time here if he gets three games for that, it will have been 20 games missed.”
The manager reiterated that Osmajic has failed to modify his behaviour despite previous consequences. “He has not learned his lesson,” Heckingbottom concluded, adding that the various incidents remain “totally unconnected in terms of football” but raise fundamental questions about professionalism.
Preston currently occupy sixth position in the Championship table, placing them within the play-off places, though Tuesday’s heavy home defeat represents a significant setback to their promotion ambitions. The suspension will leave Osmajic unavailable for crucial fixtures against second-placed Ipswich and third-placed Middlesbrough, as well as a match against Portsmouth.
Osmajic has netted 28 times in 96 appearances for Preston since joining in 2023, with five goals this season from 15 league outings. Hull’s victory, secured through goals from Liam Millar, Akin Famewo, and Oli McBurnie, lifted the Tigers to fourth in the standings.
This unfolding saga is yet another reminder of how swiftly a player’s talent can be overshadowed by their inability to maintain discipline on the field, impacting the broader dynamics of a club that aspires for success.
