Man Utd's Young charged with violent conduct for elbowing Tadic

Manchester United full-back Ashley Young has been charged with violent conduct, the Football Association (FA) confirmed on Sunday afternoon.

The 32-year-old was caught on camera waiting for referee Craig Pawson to look away before elbowing opponent Dusan Tadic in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Southampton.

If the charge is upheld then Young is expected to miss matches against Everton, Derby County and Stoke City.

Burnley defender James Tarkowski was given a three-match ban when he was caught on camera in a similar incident earlier in December.

Swansea City's Kyle Naughton was also charged for a separate an unrelated incident in their 2-1 victory over Watford on Saturday.

"Manchester United’s Ashley Young and Swansea City's Kyle Naughton have both been charged with violent conduct following games on Saturday December 30," the FA said in a statement.

"Young's charge follows an incident during Saturday's game against Southampton which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. He has until 5pm today to respond.

"Meanwhile, Naughton's charge follows an incident during yesterday's game against Watford which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video. He also has until 5pm today to respond."

Young's ban could further hinder United after a frustrating festive period in which they've failed to defeat Leicester, Burnley and Southampton.

Antonio Valencia's hamstring injury limits Jose Mourinho's full-back options, with Marcos Rojo or Daley Blind likely to be drafted in on the right defensive flank.

United also have Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic injuries to contend with as they aim to catch Manchester City at the top of the table and, perhaps more realistically, avoid being overtaken by the chasing pack of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Chelsea leapfrogged them on Saturday with their thumping 5-0 win over Stoke City.