Everton manager David Moyes has insisted he will not attempt to tame the aggressive side of Wayne Rooney's game after the young striker was red-carded in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham City at St Andrews.
Rooney was given an instant red card in the 80th minute by referee David Elleray after a challenge on Blues central defender Steve Vickers, who needed eight stitches in an ankle wound.
He now faces a three-match suspension and his absence will be a massive blow to Everton's hopes of sustaining a challenge near the top of the Premiership.
But Moyes, who feels that Everton are getting a rough deal from referees over a series of recent incidents, will only tell Rooney to exercise more care and not to alter his approach to the way he plays.
Moyes said: "It seems to be part of Everton at the moment in that we're involved in incidents that are all going against us - David Unsworth, Rooney and the one last week went against us which we didn't create (Steven Gerrard).
"Both Wayne and Vickers went whole-heartedly for the ball. I just wonder if Wayne had nicked the ball before Vickers, whether the centre-half would have got sent off? I'm not too sure.
"Maybe a little bit of Wayne's reputation has gone before him - and maybe the referee was looking at it. I did not think it was a red card.
"We have to tell Wayne that he has to be a little bit more careful. We've told him several times this year and we will tell him about this one.
"But you are not going to get me to take his aggression out of him - and maybe that's what the referees want to do."