Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will contest an FA charge for violent conduct in a bid to be available for the Blues’ weekend FA Cup semi-final fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Serbian was charged following Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Wigan, after video replays appeared to show Ivanovic striking Latics’ striker Shaun Maloney in the build-up to Juan Mata’s winning goal.
An FA regulatory commission will review video evidence and written submissions at a hearing on Thursday. The versatile defender, who has made 38 appearances in all competitions so far this term, is likely to accept that contact was made between the players, but will deny that the contact was violent.
If found guilty, Ivanovic will miss the game at Wembley against Spurs on Sunday, as well as Chelsea’s Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers, with Portuguese right-backs Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira ready to deputise.
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