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LONDON: Arsenal striker Alexander Hleb could miss the rest of the season through suspension after he was charged with violent conduct by the Football Association (FA) on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Belarus winger was involved in an off-the-ball clash with Reading captain Graeme Murty during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Hleb appeared to strike the Royals defender with his open hand, but the incident was missed by referee Peter Walton.
The FA decided to take action after reviewing video footage.
"The incident was not seen by referee Peter Walton," said an FA statement.
"Having now watched video footage, Walton has informed the FA that, had he seen it, he would have shown Hleb a red card for violent conduct."
If proven, Hleb could be banned for three matches, ruling him out of the games with Derby, Everton and finally Sunderland.
Hleb has until Wednesday evening to respond to the charge, with a regulatory commission set to hear the case on Thursday.
The potential loss of Hleb would be another blow to manager Arsene Wenger, who has seen his team's season unravel over the past eight weeks having at one stage looked well set for both the Premier League title and European glory. - AFP/de
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