Maguire suspended for Saturday’s Manchester United clash against Chelsea
By Joel Masibo, April 16, 2026Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire will be unavailable for Manchester United when they face Chelsea on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in a Premier League clash due to suspension.
Maguire ruled out
The defender had been sent off earlier in a match against AFC Bournemouth on Friday, March 20, 2026, which had already ruled him out of the subsequent game against Leeds United on Monday, April 13, 2026.
Following that incident, an independent disciplinary panel reviewed his conduct and found him guilty of improper behaviour, including the use of abusive or insulting language directed at the fourth official. Maguire accepted the charge, resulting in an additional one-game ban and a financial penalty.
The English centre-back was dismissed late in the match after officials ruled that he had illegally stopped Evanilson inside the penalty box, leading to a spot-kick in the Premier League encounter played last month.
After the decision was upheld through VAR review, Maguire reacted by challenging referee Stuart Attwell as well as fourth official Matt Donohue.
Bournemouth took advantage of the situation when Junior Kroupi converted the penalty, helping his side recover to secure a draw against the Red Devils.
Man Utd protest
Meanwhile, United previously lodged an official protest with refereeing body PGMOL after the Bournemouth match, expressing frustration over a separate incident where they believed they should have been awarded another penalty. Club officials argued that a challenge on Amad Diallo inside the area went unpunished despite appearing similar to the foul that led to Bournemouth’s equaliser.
From United’s perspective, the tackle involving Maguire that resulted in Bournemouth’s second goal resembled an earlier incident involving Adrien Truffert on Diallo, which referees did not penalise.
The encounter between United and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is set for Saturday evening, with kickoff scheduled for 20:00 BST. United currently sit third in the standings and are aiming for a strong result against a Chelsea side placed sixth.
Head coach Michael Carrick is expected to address the media ahead of the match, offering updates on team news during Friday’s pre-match press conference.