Maguire banned for Chelsea trip

Harry Maguire will miss Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday, April 18, after the Football Association added a one-match ban for improper conduct. (thefa.com) The Football Association said Maguire admitted a charge that he “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour” toward the fourth official after his dismissal against Bournemouth on Friday, March 20. (thefa.com) Sky Sports reported the incident followed Maguire’s red card in the 78th minute of United’s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, and said the extra ban rules him out of the Chelsea match on April 18. (skysports.com) The case moved separately from the automatic suspension for the red card itself. The Football Association charged Maguire on March 25, and the sanction was published on April 15 after a Regulatory Commission hearing. (thefa.com) That leaves United without one of their senior center-backs for a league game against Chelsea in the final stretch of the season. The Premier League’s April schedule lists Chelsea against Manchester United for Saturday, April 18, after broadcast-related fixture changes announced on March 4. (premierleague.com) Manchester United’s official Premier League fixture page shows the Bournemouth draw as Matchweek 31 and lists United in third place on 55 points after 32 matches. Chelsea are sixth on 48 points after 32 matches. (premierleague.com) In its written reasons, the Regulatory Commission said Maguire accepted he swore at the fourth official but argued the words were not abusive or insulting in context. The commission rejected that argument and imposed a one-match suspension and a £10,000 fine. (thefa.com) The written reasons also said the commission treated the exchange as a “serious offence” because it involved direct abuse of a match official after a sending-off. That finding turned a one-game red-card absence into a two-game spell out. (thefa.com) For United, the immediate effect is simple: Maguire is unavailable at Stamford Bridge on April 18, and the club has one fewer experienced defender for a match between teams separated by seven points. (skysports.com)