The West Bromwich Albion defender Gabriel Tamas has been charged with violent conduct over the penalty-box clash which left Norwich's James Vaughan needing hospital treatment on Sunday.

The Football Association took action on Monday over the incident which occurred late in Albion's 1-0 Premier League victory at Carrow Road a day earlier.

Tamas was given until 6pm tomorrow to respond to the charge, which would carry an automatic three-match ban if accepted.

After the match the Norwich manager, Paul Lambert, confirmed that the referee, Mark Halsey, had not seen the elbow but the West Brom manager, Roy Hodgson, insisted it was accidental.

"James has gone to see the plastic surgeon. It's a bad one," said Lambert. "It has gone straight through the lip and they can't just stitch it up, the specialist has got to look at it. He had a really nasty gash in his upper lip, which will need a bit of work on it. I think it was a penalty. I have seen it on tape and he caught him. It is not great, that is for sure."

Hodgson said: "It was an unintentional elbow. I looked at it on the TV afterwards because it was very contentious at the time. It's an unfortunate elbow and it doesn't make it any happier for James Vaughan whether it's intentional or accidental.

"It's still a painful blow. As Tamas turned, he caught him with his elbow but I'm 100% convinced it was unintentional."