Roberto Firmino's defence against racism allegations could be strengthened by the fact that referee Bobby Madley did not hear him use offensive language towards Everton's Mason Holgate at Anfield last Friday.
The FA are investigating the accusation made by Holgate after the heated FA Cup clash and intend to interview both players as well as match officials this week.
But Sportsmail understands that Madley stated in his report that he was unaware that Liverpool's Brazilian forward had used racist language, which could be significant as he was positioned between the two players at the time.