Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 8y

Man United's Bastian Schweinsteiger charged with violent conduct by FA

Bastian Schweinsteiger faces a three-match ban after being charged with misconduct by the FA.

The Manchester United midfielder was charged with violent conduct for elbowing West Ham midfielder Winston Reid in Saturday's 0-0 draw.

Referee Mark Clattenburg was only a few yards away and warned both players, but he later told West Ham manager Slaven Bilic he had not seen the incident.

Clattenburg confirmed in his report to the FA that he had not seen it, allowing the governing body to charge the German.

The FA said in a statement: "The matter was referred to a panel of three former elite referees who each reviewed the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they considered it a sending-off offence.

"For an FA charge to follow the decision by the panel must be unanimous. The player has until noon on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, to reply to the charge."

If Schweinsteiger is found guilty, he will miss the Premier League games against Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke but would be eligible to return against Chelsea on Dec. 28.

His possible absence comes at a times when United are already without two midfielders, the injured Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin.

Bilic had said in his news conference on Saturday: "It is a moment of madness and he deserved to be sent off. But the referee told me he didn't see it."

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