Manchester United's Harry Maguire will be absent from the team's upcoming trip to Chelsea due to an additional one-game suspension for misconduct. An independent regulatory commission imposed the ban after Maguire was accused of acting improperly towards fourth official Matt Donohue following his red card in the match against Bournemouth on March 20. Maguire, who also received a £30,000 fine, admitted to the offense but claimed he did not insult the official.
Instead, he stated that he said 'it is a joke' as he left the field. The FA's written reasons, however, revealed that Donohue claimed Maguire said: 'You're a joke, you're all a f****** joke.' Maguire had already served a suspension for the red card and will now miss the match against Chelsea on Saturday.
The team will also be without Lisandro Martinez, who was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair during the defeat to Leeds. With both Maguire and Martinez suspended, and Matthijs de Ligt still recovering from a back injury, Manchester United's center-back options are limited. The team's only natural center-backs, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, have shown inexperience this season.
Luke Shaw may be a more viable option, but the physical challenge posed by Joao Pedro could lead to the consideration of alternative choices. Other possibilities include Casemiro, who has played center-back in the past, or delving into the team's youth ranks, with 18-year-old Godwill Kukonki being a potential option.