Herb beverage consumed by player banned (5)
I believe the answer is:
yerba
'herb beverage' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'consumed by player banned' is the wordplay.
'consumed by' indicates a hidden word (inserted letters get consumed).
'YERBA' can be found hidden inside 'player banned'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for yerba that I've seen before include "--- Mate is a type of tea" , "Paraguay tea" , "Herbal drink" , "Evergreen S American tree, also called mate" , "South American infusion" .)