Manchester United's Harry Maguire will be absent from the upcoming Chelsea match due to an additional one-match ban imposed for misconduct. The decision was made by an independent regulatory commission on April 1, which charged Maguire for behaving in an "improper manner" towards fourth official Matt Donohue after his red card in the match against Bournemouth on March 20. Maguire's reaction came after being sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity when he pushed Evanilson, leading to a penalty that Eli Junior Kroupi scored in added time.
Having already served his suspension for the red card in the 2-1 defeat to Leeds, Maguire will now miss the trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The 33-year-old admitted to the offense and was also fined £30,000. According to the FA's written reasons, Donohue claimed Maguire said, "You're a joke, you're all a f****** joke," as he left the field, although Maguire claimed he did not insult the official but said something along the lines of "it is a f****** joke." A statement from the FA on April 1 read: "It is alleged that the defender acted in an improper manner and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards the fourth official following his dismissal." With Maguire and Lisandro Martinez both suspended, Manchester United's center-back options are limited for the Chelsea match.
Analysis by Fergus Stevenson suggests that United's center-back options are thin, with Lisandro Martinez also banned and Matthijs de Ligt still injured. Possible alternatives include Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw, or even delving into the youth ranks, but the decision poses a dilemma for the United boss as he seeks to bounce back from a first home defeat in charge.