Costa out for three: FA

30 January 2015 - 02:21 By ©The Daily Telegraph, Reuters
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Diego Costa
Diego Costa
Image: GETTY IMAGES

Diego Costa will probably miss Chelsea's Premier League clash with Manchester City after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.

Striker Costa appeared to stamp on Emre Can in Chelsea's League Cup semifinal second-leg success over Liverpool and is now facing a three-game ban.

Referee Michael Oliver did not see the incident during the game, but, on review, told the FA that Costa should have been sent off. A second alleged stamp, on Martin Skrtel, was ruled accidental and did not prompt sanction.

The FA said: "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.

"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 Capital One Cup semifinal second leg at Stamford Bridge [on Tuesday].

"Following a review of an incident during the game involving Costa and Liverpool's Martin Skrtel, the FA will not be taking any further action."

Costa is likely to miss Premier League games against City, Aston Villa and Everton, although he is expected to lodge an appeal that an FA commission would hear today.

A City success would leave them just two points adrift with 15 games to play, but if Chelsea can win without their top marksman, they will lead the champions by eight points.

The bragging rights, however, also count double in battles between two coaches whose spiky relationship stretches back to their stints in charge of Real Madrid.

Manuel Pellegrini had only one season as coach at the Bernabeu, after which, having failed to come out on top in the habitual two-horse race with Barcelona, he was replaced by Jose Mourinho.

The Chilean joined Malaga and Mourinho taunted him on the way out.

"If Madrid were to fire me, I wouldn't go to Malaga. I'd go to a top-level team in Italy or England," the Chelsea manager said.

The normally unshakeable demeanour of Pellegrini, one of football's most sombre coaches, is clearly ruffled by the in-your-face ebullience of the self-styled "special one".

The corresponding fixture at Stamford Bridge last season ended with Fernando Torres scoring a late winner, Mourinho diving into the crowd and Pellegrini refusing to carry out the usual post-match etiquette.

While that battle went Mourinho's way, the war was won by Pellegrini, who claimed the Premier League title and League Cup as the Portuguese ended the campaign empty-handed.

Tomorrow's game could be decided by which players are absent as much as who is on the pitch.

Chelsea are also likely to be without injured midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Filipe Luis.

City, who have not won in the league since January 1, will have to discover how to beat teams without midfielder Yaya Touré, who is off on Africa Cup of Nations duty. He will again be missed on Saturday.

English Fixtures

Tomorrow

Hull vs Newcastle (2.45pm)

Sunderland vs Burnley (5pm)

Crystal Palace vs Everton (5pm)

Liverpool vs West Ham (5pm)

Man United vs Leicester (5pm)

Stoke vs QPR (5pm)

West Brom vs Tottenham (5pm)

Chelsea vs Man City (5pm)

Sunday

Arsenal vs Aston Villa (3.30pm)

Southampton vs Swansea (6pm)

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