Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been charged with violent conduct by the English Football Association following an alleged stamp on Liverpool defender Emre Can last night.

Costa appeared to stamp on the German during the early stages of Chelsea's 1-0 League Cup victory over the Reds, but the incident was not spotted by the match referee.




Having reviewed the footage, the referee has now decided Costa's actions represent violent conduct and he has been charged by the FA.

 


A further incident, with an alleged stamp on Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, has been dismissed by the referee however, with no further action being taken.

The FA announced in a statement: "Diego Costa has been charged by The FA for violent conduct following an on-field incident which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.

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"The charge is in relation to an incident involving the Chelsea forward and Liverpool’s Emre Can which occurred in the 12th minute of the League Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge last night [Tuesday 27 January 2015].

"The player has until 6pm on Thursday 29 January 2015 to respond to the charge."

If found guilty, Costa would be banned for three games and miss this coming weekend's top of the table Premier League clash against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

He would also miss games against Aston Villa (away) and Everton (home), as Jose Mourinho's men chase the Premier League crown.

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