Burnley defender James Tarkowski charged with violent conduct following incident with Glenn Murray in goalless draw against Brighton

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Burnley defender James Tarkowski has been charged by the Football Association with violent conduct following an off-the-ball incident with Brighton & Hove Albion's Glenn Murray.

The pair clashed in the 35th minute of their goalless draw at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Referee Chris Kavanagh did not see the incident during the game and so it was not included in his report filed to the FA.

James Tarkowski has been charged with violent conduct after an incident with Glenn Murray

However, video footage emerged of Tarkowski seemingly digging an elbow into Murray's ribs which has led to him being charged retrospectively by The FA.

The Burnley defender has been given a deadline of 6pm on Tuesday to respond. 

Because it was an off-the-ball incident that was not seen at the time it has been referred by the FA to a panel of three former elite match officials. 

Each panel member will review the video footage independently to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence.

For retrospective action to be taken the decision of the panel must be unanimous. If found guilty of the offence he will be hit with a three-game suspension and will miss fixtures against Tottenham, Manchester United and Huddersfield as Burnley look to mount a serious attempt to break into the top four.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche believes the charge was harsh and urged the FA to concentrate on sorting out simulation first before anything else.

'I think, there's no suggestion there wasn't contact with the elbow, but I think we're suggesting people go down rather easily now, we can suggest that,' he said.

'I didn't see it at the time, I've seen it since, but that's for them to pick the bones out of. I'll be careful with my words now, but there have been some interesting cases recently. 

'We need to fine tune one or two things. I'm big on simulation, and it's going on all across the pitch across the league. If they're clamping down on things, it certainly should be in balance to that and include that.

'You have to be careful, if you're going to start opening everything up, I'd start with simulation.

If found guilty by three panel members Tarkowski will be hit with a three-game suspension

'I'd solve that before we worry about anything else.'

Tarkowski has been in fine fettle this season, helping The Clarets to establish the joint best defensive record in the top tier. They have conceded just 12 goals.

The 25-year-old has become a stalwart in Dyce's defence ever since Michael Keane's departure for Everton in the summer, and his performances so far this campaign has led to calls for his inclusion in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

He has played in all 18 of Burnley's Premier League games so far and a ban at this pivotal time of the season could threaten to derail their push for a European spot.

With games against Tottenham and Manchester United coming up, who are also vying for a place in Europe, losing Tarkowski will come as a bitter blow for Dyche.

The defender has never been sent off since joining Burnley in February 2016 but now is facing retrospective punishment following the incident that took place in Saturday's draw with Brighton.

Sean Dyche believes the charge was harsh and urged the FA to crack down on diving first