Manchester United's Harry Maguire will be absent from the upcoming match against Chelsea due to an additional one-match ban imposed for his misconduct. An independent regulatory commission charged Maguire on April 1 for behaving in an "improper manner" after using profanity towards fourth official Matt Donohue, following his red card against Bournemouth on March 20. The incident occurred when Maguire was ejected from the game for denying a goalscoring opportunity by pushing Bournemouth's Evanilson, which led to Eli Junior Kroupi scoring the equalizing goal from the penalty spot in added time.
Maguire, who is serving a suspension for the red card, missed the 2-1 loss to Leeds on Monday and will now miss the trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday due to the additional ban. For a better video experience, please use the Chrome browser. The 33-year-old admitted to the offense and was 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.
However, Maguire claimed he did not insult the fourth official but said something like "it is a f****** joke." Get the latest Man Utd news and transfer updates by downloading the Sky Sports app. In a statement released on April 1, the FA stated, "It is alleged that the defender acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behavior towards the fourth official following his dismissal." Manchester United will now be without both Maguire and Lisandro Martinez against Chelsea, as the Argentina centre-back was sent off for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair during the defeat to Leeds.
For a better video experience, please use the Chrome browser. Analysis by Fergus Stevenson: Harry Maguire's suspension for the Chelsea game has left Manchester United with limited centre-back options. Lisandro Martinez is also banned after being dismissed for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair during Monday's 2-1 defeat to Leeds, and Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined with a back injury that has kept him out since November.
Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are United's only natural centre-backs, but both have shown inexperience this season, particularly Yoro in the defeat at Old Trafford on Monday. Luke Shaw is a more tried and tested option, but the physical challenge of Joao Pedro may lead Carrick to opt for a more conventional choice. Casemiro played centre-back when the squad was stretched under Erik ten Hag, but it seems unlikely that Carrick would restrict his side's limited midfield options further, especially with Kobbie Mainoo's involvement uncertain. A possible, albeit unconventional, option might be to tap into the team's deep youth ranks.
Eighteen-year-old Godwill Kukonki could be a viable choice, having featured in several matchday squads under Ruben Amorim. Carrick may be swayed to make this decision due to impressive performances by other young centre-backs in recent seasons, such as Willy Kambwala in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool in April 2024. This presents a tough dilemma for the United boss as he looks to bounce back from his first home defeat in charge.
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