Zlatan Ibrahimović is likely to receive a three-match suspension from the FA this coming week after a blatant elbow to Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings during a frantic end to the first half during Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford yesterday.
The incident occurred after Mings appeared to stamp on the Swede's head in first-half stoppage time while he was down after tripping over the grounded body of Wayne Rooney, which then caused a retaliation just moments later as both players contested a cross.
Both players defend their actions after full-time
Despite both incidents being worthy of a red card, it was Bournemouth midfielder Andrew Surman who was sent for an early bath after pushing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and earning himself a second yellow card. When speaking to Sky Sports at the full-time whistle, Tyrone Mings explained "he would never do something like that" intentionally because stamping "isn't part of his game" while Ibrahimovic also pledged his innocence as he told MUTV that the 23-year-old defender "jumped into his elbow" and he had the elbow up to "protect himself".
United should be without Ibrahimovic against Chelsea
Wayne Rooney also had his say in the tunnel after the match had finished, telling Patrick Davison of Sky Sports that there is "no place" for stamping in football and that "it's wrong" but apparently "didn't see" the second event because he was over at the corner flag after sending in the initial cross. The Football Association will definitely be looking at the footage on Monday and it looks certain that both players will miss the next few domestic matches for their teams.
If the inevitable does happen and United's 35-year-old striker is hit with a three-match suspension, he will miss the highly-anticipated trip to Stamford Bridge to play cup favourites Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final as well as league fixtures away at Middlesbrough and home to West Brom. As if a cup tie against the Premier League leaders wasn't horrible enough for Jose Mourinho's side, Ibrahimovic's absence will make it a whole lot more difficult and the odds of the Reds retaining the prestigious trophy will turn slimmer than they already are.