BREAKING NEWS: FA FINALLY accept for ONE Man United defender as English FA finally uplift His ban to play against Chelsea this weekend-premier league statement released just now
Harry Maguire is set to sit out Manchester United’s upcoming clash with Chelsea after receiving an extra one-game suspension from the Football Association over his reaction to a red card against AFC Bournemouth.
The 33-year-old defender was dismissed at the Vitality Stadium last month after bringing down Evanilson inside the box. Eli Junior Kroupi converted the resulting penalty as Bournemouth secured a 2-2 draw. That sending-off already ruled Maguire out of United’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds United, and the punishment has now been extended to include Saturday night’s fixture as well.
According to the FA’s written explanation, fourth official Matthew Donohue filed an Extraordinary Incident Report, alleging that Maguire directed abusive remarks toward the officials while leaving the pitch. The centre-back, however, maintained that his words were more general in nature, insisting he merely described the situation as “a joke” rather than targeting the official personally.
Despite his defence, the FA confirmed that an independent regulatory panel handed him an additional one-match suspension along with a £30,000 fine after he admitted to improper conduct following his dismissal in the 78th minute of that Premier League encounter.
Maguire’s absence deepens the defensive headache for United, with Matthijs de Ligt still sidelined with a back injury since November and Lisandro Martinez also unavailable. Martinez begins a three-match ban after his red card against Leeds, where he was punished for pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin following a VAR review led by Daniel Robathan and referee Paul Tierney.
United boss Michael Carrick reacted angrily to that decision, describing it as one of the worst he has witnessed, with the club reportedly lodging an appeal against the ruling.
With Maguire, De Ligt, and Martinez all unavailable for the trip to Stamford Bridge, United could be forced to rely on youth, with 19-year-old Ayden Heaven potentially partnering 20-year-old Leny Yoro in central defence.
