Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is facing a two-match ban after being charged by England's Football Association on Monday for swearing into a television camera while celebrating a goal during a Premier League match.
The England international shouted an expletive directly into the camera after converting a penalty to complete his hat trick in United's 4-2 win over West Ham on Saturday.
''The FA has today charged Manchester United's Wayne Rooney for the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language,'' the governing body said in a statement.
There was no comment from United, but defender Rio Ferdinand asked on his Twitter account: ''So, just for clarification is swearing banned on the pitch totally??''
The 25-year-old Rooney has until Tuesday to respond to the charge. If he accepts it, he will receive an automatic two-match ban and miss the Premier League match against Fulham and the FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City on April 16.
If he challenges either the charge or the severity of the sanction, the case will be heard by a commission on Wednesday and the punishment could be increased.
The striker apologized for the incident immediately after the match, saying that his reactions were ''inappropriate.'' The host broadcaster, Sky Sports, also issued an on-air apology to its viewers.
Rooney, last season's player of the year in England, has endured a difficult campaign because of a combination of personal problems, injuries and a loss of form. But he has produced some improved displays in recent weeks, scoring nine goals in all competitions since the start of February.
Saturday's hat trick was his first since January 2010.
