FA expected to charge Chelsea and WBA

The Football Association are today expected to hit Chelsea with three charges relating to Saturday's stormy clash with West Brom.

West Brom are also likely to be in the dock after it was confirmed that referee Mike Halsey has included several of the ugly incidents which marred the match in his official report.

Chelsea look set to face three separate charges - for confronting the referee, for Jose Mourinho's touchline behaviour and for being late onto the pitch after half-time.

It is a distraction for the champions, who received a hostile welcome in Barcelona last night as they arrived to prepare for Tuesday's Champions League showdown.

On Saturday, Chelsea boss Mourinho offered Halsey ironic applause when the referee controversially sent Arjen Robben off in the bad-tempered game at the Hawthorns.

Chelsea's players surrounded the referee after his decision to dismiss the Dutch winger for his reckless challenge on Jonathan Greening.

But the Blues camp claim West Brom's Paul Robinson started the problem by running to Halsey demanding a red card.

Mourinho also became locked in an angry exchange of words with Albion boss Bryan Robson on the touchline.

Robson was angry because the Blues were late out after half-time and then the former England captain blew his top when he thought Didier Drogba had made a meal of a challenge by Greening.

Last night Chelsea were blaming Robson for starting the problems.

The club's director of communications Simon Greenberg said: "We felt that Bryan Robson set the tone for much of this from the first minute.

"He was insulting our players and our bench virtually from the start. After 57 seconds, he was out of the dug-out accusing Damien Duff of diving and shouting at the referee and that general tone continued."

Frank Lampard, who missed the West Brom game with a hamstring strain, travelled to Barcelona and hopes to be fit to play.