El-Abd was left with a cut lip after being caught by a stray boot from the Magpies midfielder as the two players fell to the floor.
Referee Lee Probert appeared not to see the incident but, in the wake of Mario Balotelli's retrospective four-match ban for his stamp on Scott Parker, Cabaye could be in hot water if the Football Association decide to take action.
"I've seen it again and I think it was frustration on his part and he did have a little kick out at me," said El-Abd.
"I think it was a sending-off. I think he knew what he was doing as well but that's for the referee to decide. The ref said he would look at it after the game. He told me that when I was down. The evidence was clear, I had blood on my lip which didn't magic itself there, his stud was in my face. We'll see what happens.
"It's part of the game, it's not nice but sometimes people get frustrated and it was a sign of how well we were doing as a team."
Will Buckley was the Brighton hero when he charged 60 yards into the Newcastle penalty area before his shot took a deflection off Mike Williamson and bounced into the net.
Buckley could have been forgiven for having mixed emotions as a boyhood Newcastle fan who said beforehand he would love the chance to play at St James' Park in a replay.
"I did my best to put it wide," he joked.
"I just hit it as hard as I could across goal and it probably was an own-goal. I did my best to claim it when I ran off celebrating.
"Playing at St James' would have been good but with the amount of games we've got coming up we needed the win.
"It was brilliant to play a Premier League side here and to play as well as we did, there is nothing better than that."
Buckley did get his wish when the fifth-round draw was made, though.
"Liverpool would be a nice one," he added.
