Manchester United's Harry Maguire has been handed an additional one-match ban for misconduct, resulting in his absence from the upcoming Chelsea match. An independent regulatory commission charged Maguire with acting in an improper manner following his red card against Bournemouth on March 20.
Maguire had reacted to being sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity by pushing Evanilson, which led to a penalty being scored by Eli Junior Kroupi. He has already served a suspension for the red card and will now miss the Chelsea game due to the additional ban.
Maguire admitted to the offence and was fined £30,000. The FA's written reasons stated that Maguire allegedly told the fourth official, 'You're a joke, you're all a f****** joke,' as he left the field, although Maguire claimed he did not insult the official directly. Manchester United will be without both Maguire and Lisandro Martinez for the Chelsea match, as Martinez was also sent off for pulling an opponent's hair during the defeat to Leeds. This leaves the team with limited centre-back options, including inexperienced players Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, or potentially using other players out of position.
Analysis suggests that Luke Shaw or Casemiro could be alternative options, but the team's limited midfield options may make this unlikely. The situation presents a challenge for the United boss as they seek to recover from their first home defeat.