Man United dealt a major suspension blow as the key defender ruled out of the FA Cup semi-final
Harry Maguire, the captain of Manchester United, will not play in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley Stadium against Brighton & Hove Albion.
United manager Erik ten Hag lauded Maguire yesterday for his leadership skills and on-field development.
Although the 30-year-old seemed to be advancing at the club, his performance against Fulham did not go well.
Early in the game, Maguire fouled Aleksandar Mitrovic needlessly and was given a yellow card.
He got too close to the striker in his search for him. Maguire had to pull Mitrovic down because he was holding the ball with his body.
He will now be barred from the FA Cup semifinal game next month because it was his second booking of the year.
Fans of Manchester United won’t likely be disappointed by Maguire’s suspension.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are the preferred backcourt duo. Varane would have started the Fulham game on the bench if he hadn’t been hurt.
Maguire made his second consecutive two-game start of the year.
The last time this occurred, Brentford embarrassed the Red Devils.
A rising team is Brighton. They are unaffected by Graham Potter’s departure because Roberto De Zerbi is leading them admirably.
For the semifinal match, Ten Hag will need his top players to be present right away, and Maguire is not one of them.
The only issue is that Ten Hag would have to rely on the seasoned England international if Varane and Martinez were both hurt.