Jose Mourinho will be free to direct Chelsea from the touchline in their critical clash with Liverpool on Saturday with the misconduct charge he incurred after being sent to the stands at West Ham to be heard next week at the earliest.

The Portuguese, together with his assistant Silvino Louro, has until 6pm on Thursday to inform the Football Association whether he intends to accept or contest the charge brought against him from last Saturday's 2-1 loss at Upton Park.

Louro was sent off by the referee, Jonathan Moss, after complaining about Nemanja Matic's red card.

Mourinho’s charge relates to his alleged refusal to leave the referee’s room at half-time - there have been suggestions he made reference to Ars?ne Wenger and swore at Moss - and he watched the second half from the back of the directors’ box. The FA will convene a commission which it expects will sit next week and, if the charge is proven, will determine the level of sanction to be applied. That could comprise a fine, a touchline ban or both.

Chelsea and West Ham were charged with failing to control their players in the aftermath of Matic’s red card, when the officials were surrounded by personnel from both teams, and face fines. The visitors incurred a statutory £25,000 fine for accruing six or more yellow cards in the London derby.

The Chelsea manager is also appealing against a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for suggesting officials were “afraid” to award his side decisions following the defeat to Southampton on October 3rd. That stadium ban will not be invoked if Mourinho is sanctioned over the West Ham incident.

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