London: Chelsea striker Diego Costa is facing a three-match ban after being charged on Wednesday by the English Football Association with violent conduct for stamping on an opponent during the League Cup semifinal win over Liverpool.
The Spain international stamped on Emre Can's right ankle early in the game, but it was missed by the officials at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The FA reviewed video footage before charging Costa, who has until 1800 GMT on Thursday to respond to the governing body.
If Costa is found guilty, he could receive the same three-match ban as Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam received last season for a stamp. That would rule him out for Saturday's match for the Premier League leaders against second-place Manchester City and subsequent games against Everton and Aston Villa.
The FA said Costa will not face action over his apparent stamp in the second half on Martin Skrtel. Chelsea beat Liverpool 1-0 to advance to the League Cup final 2-1 on aggregate.
But Wednesday started badly for Chelsea, with manager Jose Mourinho fined for claiming referees are influenced by a "campaign" against the club. Mourinho made the comments after a 1-1 draw at Southampton last month when Cesc Fabregas was booked for diving rather than being awarded a penalty.
An FA commission said Mourinho's comments were "improper and brought the game into disrepute" but decided they did not imply biased refereeing. Mourinho was also warned about his future conduct.
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