Police are on the hunt for a Luis Suarez lookalike who is wanted in connection with a vicious biting attack in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police released an image of the suspect - who looks like the disgraced Uruguay striker - after a city centre assault left a man with a chewed-off ear lobe that had to be surgically reattached.

The incident happened at approximately 3am on Saturday 29 March, when the 21-year-old victim and his girlfriend became involved an argument with a group of men. This soon escalated into a street brawl, during which the victim banged his head on a nearby telephone box.

As the victim fell to the floor, the offender restrained the victim before taking a bite of his left ear, then jumping to his feet and running off, reported the Manchester Evening News.

The Suarez lookalike is described as a white, in his early 20s, approximately 6ft tall and with a slim to medium build. He has short, dark hair and was wearing a red or blue bubble jacket.

Detective Constable Robert Ashurst said: "This is a nasty case in which a few heated words have turned into a brutal attack that has left a man needing serious treatment.

"Quite often people who attack innocent victims in the street are described as 'animals', but in this case that rings particularly true.

"The victim was simply trying to ensure his girlfriend was safe and instead suffered a permanently disfiguring injury.

"The shocking nature of this attack means we are extremely keen to bring this man to justice as soon as possible, as he has already shown he is capable of extreme violence.

"If you recognise the man in this picture please contact police as soon as possible."

Suarez was handed a four-month ban by Fifa after biting into the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The Liverpool star has since been ridiculed for a letter he wrote to Fifa defending his actions, saying he did not bite the Italian and had merely fallen into him after losing his balance.