WORCESTER Warriors ace Chris Pennell is facing a disciplinary hearing after being cited for his tackle on Gloucester's Charlie Sharples.

Pennell was yellow carded by referee Tom Foley for taking out Sharples in the air at Kingsholm on Saturday as Warriors slumped to a 36-16 defeat.

But the 31-year-old has now been charged for tackling a player whose feet were off the ground, causing him to land in a dangerous position, contrary to Law 9.17.

Pennell will appear before a three-person independent discipline panel in Coventry on Tuesday, starting at 6.30pm.

If he is found quilty, the entry point for a lower end offence of this nature is a four-week ban.

It is eight weeks if it is found to be mid-range and 12 weeks at the top end.

Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann felt the decision to sin-bin Pennell was “fair”, describing the collision with Sharples as an “accident”.

“I don’t like red cards because it takes away the contest of the game,” Ackermann said.

“But I know for a fact there have been games where similar incidents like that would have been a red card.

“That’s where I say if (the officials) need to follow it up after the game then they can do.

“I felt that a yellow card was fair but it is up to the officials to make that call.

“I do understand the empathetic side of it when you run to a guy and suddenly he jumps and there is a small second to make a decision.

“It is something we will get feedback on and take it from there but it is a big lesson for the players to be quite careful.”

He added: “For me a red card must be for a blatant thing where it is a fist or a kick and there is no excuse.

“If it is an accident like (on Saturday) and they feel like the guy was irresponsible then there are citing commissioners to take it further.”