FA charge Thatcher after incident with Ljungberg

LEICESTER defender Ben Thatcher has been charged with “violent behaviour” by the FA over an incident involving Arsenal’s Freddie Ljungberg during the recent Premiership clash at the Walker’s Stadium.

Thatcher is alleged to have committed an offence against the Gunners winger during the 1-1 draw on December 6.

The Foxes player had been on the receiving end of a tackle from Ashley Cole which earned the Arsenal player a red card during the same match. Thatcher could serve a three-game suspension if he is found guilty and he has 14 days to respond to the charge.

Leicester manager Micky Adams is also in hot water following his verbal outburst towards referee Mike Riley during the half-time interval of last Saturday's home game with Birmingham.

Adams has been charged with improper conduct by the FA and insulting words towards a match official.

If he is found guilty, Adams could face the possibility of a touchline ban and he also has 14 days to respond to the charge.

Adams had to watch the second half of Leicester's 2-0 defeat by Blues from the stand after being banished from the dug-out by Riley.

Meanwhile, Birmingham striker Christophe Dugarry is to undergo a series of injections during the next month to try and cure his niggling knee problem. The French World Cup winner underwent surgery in August but it failed to cure the problem and he is now enduring a second spell on the sidelines.

Dugarry is still waiting to see whether he faces an FA charge over his alleged elbow on Blackburn defender Craig Short during the Premiership game at St Andrews 12 days ago. The FA are looking for additional video evidence before deciding whether Dugarry should face a violent conduct charge.

Manager Steve Bruce has already insisted that he will "vigorously fight" any charges which may be brought against his player and believes any contact with Short was accidental.

Dugarry saw a specialist earlier in the week and he will now go under the needle and then rest the knee with a view to him returning in the New Year.

The ex-Bordeaux player was a revelation when he came to City on loan for the second half of last season and a major influence on them surviving their first season in the Premiership.

But the injury has meant Dugarry looking only a shadow of himself during the current campaign when he has managed only one goal against Charlton last month.

Bruce said: "We are going to go down the line of Christophe having a series of injections and we hope that they will do the trick for his knee.

He is going to have these over the next 20-odd days in the hope of them finally curing this problem.

"The aim is to get him back on the training pitch in the New Year and we hope that he can get back to the kind of form he showed last season. It has been a frustrating time for him and us because he has not been able to play at his best because of the handicap of the knee."

Meanwhile, summer signing Luciano Figueroa is poised to join Mexican side Cruz Azul FC on loan in a bid to gain some match fitness.

The Argentinian striker has struggled to adapt to English football and is still a long way short of being ready to play in the Premiership.