Fernando Torres escapes punishment for Vertonghen scratch

London: Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has escaped retrospective punishment from the FA for appearing to scratch the face of Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen on Saturday.

Television replays showed the Spaniard digging his fingers into Vertonghen`s face after the two came together following Torres`s trip on the Belgian which earned him a yellow card. He was later sent off for a second yellow card after another clash with the Spurs player during the Premier League match. "One of the match officials saw the coming together of the two players, albeit not in its entirety," the FA said on its website on Tuesday. "In these particular circumstances, in line with The FA`s policy on when retrospective action may be taken, reviewed this summer by the game`s stakeholders, no action may be taken." Torres will miss Chelsea`s game at Norwich City on Sunday. Reuters