Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele banned for six matches after admitting Football Association charge

Tottenham midfielder will sit out remainder of this season and the beginning of the next campaign

Mousa Dembele has been banned for six matches following an altercation with Chelsea forward Diego Costa at Stamford Bridge on Monday

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembélé has been suspended for six matches after admitting a Football Association charge of violent conduct. The Belgian, 28, was involved in an incident with Chelsea forward Diego Costa during the first half of last Monday's Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

"The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder accepted the charge but denied The FA’s claim that the standard punishment of three matches which would otherwise apply to this offence was clearly insufficient," an FA statement read.

"An Independent Regulatory Commission upheld The FA’s claim at a hearing today [Friday 6 May 2016] and ordered that an additional three-match suspension was appropriate."

Dembele's suspension rules him out of Spurs' remaining games this season - at home to Southampton on Sunday and away to Newcastle United seven days later - as well as the first four League games of next season.

With the 2016/17 season starting on the weekend of 13/14 August, Dembele's first match of next term is likely to be Tottenham's opening Champions League group match - with the club all but certain of the required top three finish - which would take place on either 13 or 14 September.

Chelsea and Tottenham were also charged with three offences of failing to control their players and/or officials during the match, which ended in a 2-2 draw and featured 12 yellow cards - including a record nine for Tottenham,

The charges for the clubs relate to “incidents which occured in the 45th and 87th minutes and also at the end of the game”, with both sides having until Monday to respond.

Mark Clattenburg booked Spurs defenders Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker, midfielder Eric Dier, Dembele, Erik Lamela, Ryan Mason and Christian Eriksen and forward Harry Kane.

Willian, Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel entered the book for Chelsea.

Dembele's fellow Spurs midfielder Dele Alli is already serving a retrospective three-game suspension after being charged with violent conduct following an incident with West Bromwich Albion midfielder Claudio Yacob during the 1-1 draw between the sides at White Hart Lane last month.

Tottenham were also charged with failing to control their players during December's league match at West Bromwich Albion, with the Football Association fining them £20,000.

Second-half goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard earned Chelsea a point in Monday's fractious encounter, a result which ended Spurs' lingering title hopes and secured the Premier League crown for Leicester City.

Kane and Heung-min Son had given Spurs the lead at half-time, although they were unable to hold on and remain without a win at Stamford Bridge in 26 years.