The FA have charged Wayne Rooney with violent conduct. Their website reports:
‘Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 for violent conduct.
‘In addition, Bolton Wanderers defender Tal Ben Haim has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 for improper conduct. The charges relate to an incident involving the two players during the match at Old Trafford on Sunday 26 December.
’In line with The FA's new Fast Track disciplinary system, Wayne Rooney is required to respond to the charge by 6pm on Thursday 30 December. If he accepts the charge, the automatic penalty is a three match suspension. If he denies the charge, the case will be heard at a Disciplinary Commission on Friday, 31 December.’
If Rooney accepts the charges he will be banned for the Middlesbrough away tie and the home matches against Tottenham and Exeter.
It is thought that Bolton will contest the charges against Ben Haim. Manager Sam Allardyce said, "I admit Tal went down rather too easily but there's no getting away from the fact that Rooney pushed his hand into the lad's face. He was lucky to get away with it because had the referee seen it he would have had to send him off."
Ben Haim himself said: "I want to say clearly that when Rooney hit my face I genuinely fell down out of instinct."