Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has been charged by the Football Association with violent conduct.

36667 - Branislav Ivanovic charged with violent conduct

In the second half of Chelsea's 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic on Saturday, footage showed Ivanovic punch opponent Shaun Maloney in the side, but referee Michael Jones did not see the incident.

The FA has now reviewed the footage and found Ivanovic guilty of violent conduct, meaning he faces a three-match suspension, although the defender could still appeal the judgement.

An FA statement read: "Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has today [Tuesday, April 10, 2012] been charged by the FA with violent conduct following an incident in his side's game against Wigan Athletic.

"Ivanovic was involved in an incident with Wigan's Shaun Maloney, which was not seen by the match officials, but caught on video, during his side's 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, April 7. Ivanovic has until 6pm on April 11 to respond to the charge."