Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will not face further punishment for his part in a scuffle with Everton's James McCarthy on Wednesday, the FA announced.

Tempers flared in the 86th minute after Ivanovic had a goal ruled out for offside. Everton's Gareth Barry then tripped Willian, earning a second yellow card, and Ivanovic motioned his head towards McCarthy in the resulting fracas.

The FA said in a statement on its website that its panel of former referees could not unanimously agree that Ivanovic should have been sent off for his action.

The statement read: "In Premier League matches, if an incident has not been seen by the match officials, a three-man panel of former elite referees will be asked by The FA to review it and advise what, if any, action they believe the match referee should have taken had it been witnessed at the time.

"For an FA charge to follow, all three panel members must agree it is a sending-off offence.

"In this instance, the panel did not believe the conduct was worthy of a dismissal.

The FA will not charge Branislav Ivanovic for his part in an incident with Everton's in Wednesday's game. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told BT Sport after the game that he believed Ivanovic did not head-butt McCarthy and was innocent of any wrongdoing.

"Did Branislav Ivanovic go in with his head? Don't make me laugh. Don't make me laugh."

While the Serbia international escaped sanctions, both Chelsea and Everton were charged for "failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion."

Mourinho, who was last month fined 25,000 pounds for saying there was a "clear campaign" against Chelsea, was not prepared to discuss the Ivanovic incident post-match or the possibility the defender would be banned.

Mourinho has already shown his displeasure at Diego Costa being suspended retrospectively for three matches for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can.

Mourinho added: "I'm tired of stories and I'm never tired of football. Football is emotion and what we had here today.

"A discussion because of a red card, a red card that should be given in the first half, because Barry should be sent off in the first half. He pulled Hazard. The second yellow card should be given there."