West Ham winger Shaun Newton has been banned for seven months by the Football Association after testing positive for cocaine.
The 30-year-old provided the positive test following the FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough on April 23. The ban started on May 20, the date the former Charlton and Wolves player was suspended by his club.
The ban applies to matches but not training and other football activities. The FA also confirmed Newton will be target tested throughout the period of his suspension.
Newton did not travel with the club when they left for a pre-season tour of Sweden today.
Newton is fortunate in a sense as, because three months of his ban take in the close season, he will miss just four months of competitive action and he is expected back in December.
The news of his failed test comes less than a week after the Wolves striker Chris Cornes was also banned for testing positive for cocaine.
However, Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, denied the sport has a problem.
He told Sky Sports News: 'The evidence suggests (that) out of thousands of tests, the number of positive tests has been very limited.'
Taylor described the news as 'unfortunate' but insisted Newton could have no excuses.
'This is a lad who has had an exemplary record,' Taylor said. 'It's very unfortunate for the lad, while it is taken for recreational purposes, it is performance enhancing.
'There's really no mitigating circumstances now, if there's a positive test it's a minimum six months.'
West Ham appear ready to stick by the player.
'I'm really pleased the club have been seen to support him,' Taylor said. 'All being well, he will be back before Christmas but this is a very trying time for him.'
