Florent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge escape FA punishment

Florent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge will not face any further action after incidents that left two Portsmouth players nursing serious facial injuries in Chelsea's 5-0 win at Fratton Park last night. The Portsmouth centre-back Ricardo Rocha sustained a suspected cheekbone fracture in an aerial collision with Malouda, in which the Frenchman led with his arm. Malouda was booked by the referee, Lee Mason, for the challenge. Rocha's team-mate Tommy Smith then suffered a broken nose after being caught by Sturridge's elbow, with the Portsmouth forward undergoing surgery on the injury today. The FA has confirmed both incidents were deemed not to be "off-the-ball" and that, as the referee dealt with them at the time, they will not be opening disciplinary proceedings against either player. The outcome is in line with the FA's decision not to punish Steven Gerrard retrospectively for an apparent elbow , again involving a Portsmouth player, Michael Brown, during Liverpool's victory over the Premier League's bottom club on 15 March.