MICK RUSSELL, the referee at the centre of the cautions controversy during Huddersfield Town’s Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday on December 29, will return to action next week.

The Hertfordshire whistler, who showed Wednesday’s Jeremy Helan two yellow cards inside the opening 25 minutes of the goalless derby at the John Smith’s Stadium but failed to send him off, will take the League II clash between Hartlepool and Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Russell, a Football League referee since 2004, booked on-loan Manchester City winger Helan for the second time in the 25th minute after his foul on Adam Hammill. He had previously carded him for diving, but mistakenly noted the name of Owls teammate Michail Antonio.

The official ignored protests by Town boss Simon Grayson and his players and restarted the match, meaning the chance to red card Helan had gone. The Wednesday man was later hit with the one-match ban he would have received had he been red carded.

The incident was investigated by Professional Game Match Officials Limited, who provide officials for the Premier and Football League, and the 45-year-old from St Albans has not refereed in the meantime.

Newcastle’s Scott Duncan will take Town’s game at Watford on Saturday. It will be his 17th match of the season but first at Championship level since stepping up from Blue Square Premier at the start of the campaign.