Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed an additional one-match ban for misconduct, resulting in his absence from the upcoming match against Chelsea. The decision was made by an independent regulatory commission after Maguire was charged on April 1 for behaving in an improper manner towards fourth official Matt Donohue following his red card against Bournemouth on March 20.
Maguire had reacted to being sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity when he pushed Bournemouth's Evanilson, leading to a penalty being scored by Eli Junior Kroupi in added time. Having already served a suspension for the red card and missing the 2-1 defeat to Leeds, Maguire will now miss the trip to Stamford Bridge due to the additional ban. He admitted to the offence and was also fined £30,000. The FA's written reasons revealed that Maguire allegedly said, 'You're a joke, you're all a f****** joke,' as he left the field, although he claimed he did not insult the fourth official but rather said, 'something along the lines of 'it is a f****** joke'.' Manchester United will now face Chelsea without both Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, who was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair during the defeat to Leeds.
The absence of these key players leaves United with limited centre-back options, including Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, who have shown inexperience this season. Luke Shaw could be a possible alternative, but the physical challenge posed by Joao Pedro may lead to the consideration of other options. With Matthijs de Ligt still sidelined due to a back injury, United's centre-back dilemma deepens, potentially prompting the consideration of younger players like 18-year-old Godwill Kukonki.