Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) over a Twitter post concerning team mate Benjamin Mendy last month.

Portugal's Silva came under fire from anti-racism body Kick It Out after posting a message on September 22 comparing Mendy to a character used in the logo for Conguitos, a confectionery brand popular in Spain and Portugal, before deleting it.

"Silva has been charged with misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E3," the FA said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the player had until October 9 to respond.

"It is alleged that the 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... as it included reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or color and/or ethnic origin."

City manager Pep Guardiola had said last month that it would be a mistake for the FA to punish Silva over the tweet.

(Cover: Benjamin Mendy of Manchester City speaks to his teammate Bernardo Silva on the bench during the Premier League match against Everton FC at Goodison Park in Liverpool, UK, September 28, 2019. /VCG Photo)