Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva could face a lengthy ban if found guilty of discrimination after being charged by the Football Association over a tweet in reference to his teammate Benjamin Mendy.

The FA has alleged that Silva’s tweet, which compared Mendy to the character on packets of Conguitos chocolates, brought the game into disrepute and that the Portugal international’s post constituted an “aggravated breach” of its rules on social media behaviour because it appeared to reference the French left-back’s race.

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The game’s governing body has recently introduced a minimum six-game ban for anyone found guilty of racist abuse during matches but that does not automatically apply to social media.

However, the FA’s position when discrimination takes place on social media is to recommend match-based sanctions as an entry point. An independent regulatory commission will decide whether Silva deserves a six-game ban and has the power to increase or decrease that depending on mitigating circumstances.

The FA said: “It is alleged that the Manchester City player’s activity breaches FA Rule E3(1) as it was insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute. It is further alleged that the activity constitutes an ‘Aggravated Breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin.”

Silva, who has until 9 October to respond to the charge, was accused of using a “racial stereotype” by Kick It Out, football’s anti-discrimination charity, after tweeting a picture of Mendy as a child next to the Conguitos logo with the caption “Guess who?”. The tweet was later deleted and Silva has expressed regret in a letter to the FA at any unintentional hurt he may have caused. The 25-year-old has also received support from Mendy, with whom he has a close friendship with the pair having also played together at Monaco.

Silva faced further criticism when an Instagram video from an earlier date emerged of him appearing to reference Mendy’s skin colour by asking him why he was naked. Mendy is wearing a black T-shirt in the clip.

Pep Guardiola has said that “Bernardo is maybe going to take a lesson and it’s not going to happen again” and defended Silva’s character on multiple occasions last week.

“If they believe, if the people believe, that Bernardo is this type of player they are completely wrong,” City’s manager said. “They judged one joke, I judge three years every single day with him and how he is and his friendship. Nothing more to add.”

Guardiola also defended Silva by arguing that Mendy bears a resemblance to the Conguitos logo. “It was just a joke,” he said. “It’s a cartoon and the face is quite similar. The same happened a thousand million times with white people.”