Fulham manager Marco Silva and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic have apologised to referee Chris Kavanagh following their red cards against Manchester United earlier this month.

Silva was charged with abusive behaviour towards match officials, improper conduct for allegedly throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee, and misconduct for his post-match comments.

In a statement released on Fulham's official website, Silva said: "I should have controlled my own emotions better.

"I regret what happened, and I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise. He knows that I respect him and the job he has to do.

"Unfortunately, we did not see eye-to-eye on the day, but I recognise that he is one of the top referees in this country and I know that when our paths cross again, there will be mutual respect between us.

"I am sorry that I was not on the pitch to try to lead the team to what could have been a historic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, but I am thankful for all the support I have received from Fulham fans over the last few days."

Mitrovic was given his marching orders for pushing Kavanagh, following the referee's decision to send off Willian for handling the ball on the goalline in the 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat.

The Serbia international was charged with violent and improper conduct, and he could face a lengthy ban after the Football Association said that the standard three-game suspension was "clearly insufficient".

Like his manager, Mitrovic has revealed that he has apologised to Kavanagh and regrets his behaviour at Old Trafford.

"On a personal level, I regret my actions that led to me being sent off," Mitrovic said in a statement. "I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong.

"I was trying to get the referee's attention, but I appreciate that I should not have put my hands on him and I understand why he showed me a red card, my first in-game sending off for Fulham and my first since the 2015-16 season.

"I have accepted the three-match ban for my red card, I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise, and I have volunteered to accept a club fine.

"I now want to do what I can to put this incident behind me and get back to helping my teammates on the pitch as soon as possible."

Fulham, who currently occupy ninth place in the Premier League table, will be unable to call upon Willian and Mitrovic when they face Bournemouth on Saturday. body check tags ::