PHIL NEVILLE is appealing for referees to show more leniency towards Marouane Fellaini.

The Everton captain will lead his side out for two successive Merseyside derbies without the club’s record signing after he picked up his 10th booking of the season against Hull on Saturday.

Eight different officials have shown Fellaini a yellow card this season and Neville believes his side are suffering because of the way he has been targeted since he arrived in England from Standard Liege at the end of the summer transfer window.

And he feels officials have to revise their opinion of the midfielder and not allow his physical appearance to affect their thinking.

“Maybe it’s something that referees need to have a really good hard look at,” said Neville.

“Because we are suffering. Felli is suffering himself, but we as a team are suffering too because he’s missing big games. So it’s a serious issue.

“I think because of his size and because he looks awkward he has been unfairly picked on and unfairly judged at times.

“The referee on Saturday said it was for persistent fouling and it’s disappointing. We can’t hide away from the fact that it will be a big loss.

“He has been immense for us.”

Fellaini appeared fortunate not to be shown a straight red card during the 2-0 win, in which he also scored the first goal, his fourth of the season.

The Belgian swung his forearm at Michael Turner and caught him in the face but the defender stayed on his feet and referee Martin Atkinson missed the incident.

But Fellaini’s only sending-off this season came when playing for Belgium in the Olympics in Beijing and his bookings since moving to England have generally been for relatively minor offences.

The 21-year-old has acknowledged that fact – but also said sorry to his team-mates for depriving them of his services on the derby double header.