Everton and West Ham charged by English FA

The Football Association has announced that Everton and West Ham have been charged for ‘failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion’ following their game on Saturday.

There was a melee after Everton's James McCarthy tackled Morgan Amalfitano, with a large number of West Ham players confronting the Republic of Ireland international.

Both McCarthy and Winston Reid were booked by referee Mark Clattenburg.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists Ross Barkley is no diver and claims the incident where the Toffees midfielder went to ground in Saturday’s game against West Ham “has been blown out of proportion”.

Barkley has faced accusations of throwing himself down on purpose after he hit the deck in the first half of the home victory over the Hammers, winning his side a free-kick even though replays showed there had been no contact on him from his nearest opponent, Kevin Nolan.

Martinez is adamant Barkley is not the sort of player to try to “buy a decision” and says it is understandable the 20-year-old England international might end up on the turf while attempting to avoid some of the “rough treatment” he has to endure in matches.

“When you are a player like Ross Barkley and you are getting so many knocks and kicks during the game, the only thing he did was anticipate a tackle that didn’t arrive – he tried to get out of the way.

Forward Steven Naismith is among a considerable group of players who have not travelled with Everton for the clash with Wolfsburg.

Naismith is missing due to a hamstring problem sustained against West Ham. Leighton Baines (hamstring), Gareth Barry (ankle), Darron Gibson (knee) and Steven Pienaar (knee) who all missed that game are also absent from the trip to Germany.

John Stones (ankle) and Antolin Alcaraz (shoulder) are also injured and Bryan Oviedo is still working his way towards match fitness, but Arouna Kone’s is in the squad.