Harry Maguire will miss Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea having been handed an additional one-match ban by the Football Association for his reaction to being sent off at Bournemouth.
The 33-year-old was shown a straight red card at the Vitality Stadium last month for a foul in the box on Evanilson, with Junior Kroupi scoring from the resulting penalty as the Cherries sealed a 2-2 draw.
Maguire missed Monday’s 2-1 home defeat to rivals Leeds due to a sending off that has wider consequences, with the England international now to also miss United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday night.
An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a one-match suspension and £30,000 fine on Manchester United FC’s Harry Maguire.
Full statement here: https://t.co/HEHThdoBrS pic.twitter.com/Zaf9LhKJZo
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) April 15, 2026
The FA’s written reasons confirmed fourth official Matthew Donohue submitted an Extraordinary Incident Report Form, claiming Maguire shouted as he left the field: “You’re a joke. You’re all a f****** joke.”
The United defender insists he did not insult the fourth official, instead claiming he said “something along the lines of ‘it is a f****** joke’.”
The FA said: “An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a one-match suspension and £30,000 fine on Manchester United FC’s Harry Maguire.
“The defender was charged after being sent off in the 78th minute of their Premier League match against AFC Bournemouth on Friday 20 March.
“It was alleged that Harry Maguire acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards the fourth official following his dismissal. The defender subsequently admitted the charge.”
The FA’s report said Maguire “acknowledged that acting as he did was inappropriate and apologised for saying what he did”.
The regulatory body had considered a two-match suspension and £45,000 fine but, having taken all mitigating factors into account, decided on a one game punishment and £30,000 sanction.
Maguire’s fresh ban compounds the absence of fellow centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez.
The former has not featured since November due to an ongoing back issue, while Argentina international Martinez begins a three-match ban at Stamford Bridge following his red card against Leeds.
The 28-year-old was given his marching orders for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair after VAR Daniel Robathan sent referee Paul Tierney to the monitor to review the second-half incident.
United head coach Michael Carrick was infuriated by a decision he called “one of the worst I’ve seen” and the club are said to have appealed against the ban.
Maguire, De Ligt and Martinez’s absence against Chelsea means 19-year-old Ayden Heaven could line up alongside 20-year-old Leny Yoro at the heart of defence.
Carrick’s side are third in the standings and seven points ahead of the sixth-placed Blues ahead of Saturday’s Stamford Bridge encounter.
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