But there is more to come for United, because Mark Viduka and Alan Smith enter the FA dock in a fortnight’s time following their charges of misconduct which left O’Leary stunned last week.

Smith is already serving a five-match suspension following his sending-off for violent conduct in the FA Cup third-round shock at Cardiff early last month and for picking up a fifth booking of the season a week later during the defeat at Newcastle.

The 21-year-old, who has now been on the sidelines since mid-January and is not due to return to Barclaycard Premiership action until March 3, faces the prospect of playing just two games against Everton and Ipswich in the space of four days before being banned again.

Smith is understood to have been dismayed by the latest charge following an arm-led body check on Graeme Le Saux during a Worthington Cup defeat by Chelsea at the end of November.

A further three-match punishment would see Smith out of games against Blackburn, Leicester and more crucially Manchester United, before returning for the April Fool’s Day clash with Spurs, a team he has previously seen red against.

Fellow striker Viduka, meanwhile, is poised to miss the same three games after the Australia international was charged with misconduct for elbowing Martin Keown in the 1-1 Elland Road draw with Arsenal on January 20.

O’Leary has seen his side’s bid for the title wrecked by the catalogue of injuries and bans.

Leeds are also struggling to finish in the top four in the league and with it a place in next season’s Champions League after picking up just one point from their last four matches, culminating in Sunday’s 4-0 humiliation at home to Liverpool.

Bowyer’s dreams of playing for England in this summer’s World Cup are also hanging by a thread after he was handed a six-match suspension and £10,000 fine by the three-man panel who sat at Bramall Lane.

The midfielder pleaded guilty to a charge of violent conduct, after elbowing Gary McAllister during Leeds’ 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Liverpool at Elland Road 12 months ago, and to using foul and abusive language against referee Jeff Winter following his dismissal for two bookable offences against Arsenal in August.

The 24-year-old will now miss the games against Middlesbrough, Charlton, Everton, Ipswich, Blackburn and Leicester.

The suspension starts with immediate effect and he will not return until the March 30 showdown with Manchester United.

Mills has been suspended for two games and fined £7,500. He also pleaded guilty to using foul and abusive language against fourth official Andy D’Urso in the tunnel at Arsenal after being dismissed for two yellow card offences in the same volatile Highbury clash as Bowyer.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale, who attended the hearing, said: ‘‘Both players pleaded guilty because Leeds will not condone unacceptable behaviour. We are happy the FA have now dealt with the matter and we can concentrate on playing football.’’

Although Bowyer will still be eligible for the UEFA Cup, he will have just a month of league action to prove his worth to England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who names his provisional 30-man World Cup squad at the end of April before it is trimmed to the final 23 on May 21.