Chelsea could be without Marcos Alonso for three games after the Spanish defender was charged with violent conduct by the FA.

Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso could miss Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association following an incident involving Shane Long.

The Spanish defender made contact with the Southampton forward’s calf while making a tackle during the Premier League fixture between the teams last Sunday.

The defender escaped punishment during the game but now faces the prospect of serving a three-game ban. He has until 6pm on Wednesday to respond to the charge.

An FA statement read: ‘Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso has been charged with violent conduct following an incident with Southampton’s Shane Long.’

‘It happened in the 43rd minute of Saturday’s game [14/04/18] and was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.’

If suspended, Alonso will be absent for Premier League away games against Burnley and Swansea City, as well as the FA Cup game against Southampton at Wembley this weekend.