Ibra elbowed out of Chelsea cup clash
LONDON — Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss Monday’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Chelsea after accepting a charge of violent conduct and an immediate three-match suspension, England’s Football Association said on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old, United’s leading scorer this season with 26 goals, will also miss the Premier League matches against Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion, dealing a significant blow to United’s hopes of snatching a top-four place and a Champions League spot.
However, Ibrahimovic remains available for United’s Europa League tie away to Russian side Rostov on Thursday because FA bans do not apply to European matches.
Ibrahimovic and Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings were charged following two incidents in Saturday’s badtempered 1-1 league draw.
Mings looked to have deliberately stamped on Ibrahimovic’s head as he jumped over him late in the first half at Old Trafford, and the Swedish striker appeared to retaliate moments later by elbowing the defender in the head.
Both players would ordinarily have been facing threegame bans but, breaking with protocol, the FA on Monday said the standard punishment was “clearly insufficient” in Mings’ case.
Ibrahimovic, who also had a penalty saved by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc during the match, denied elbowing Mings on purpose, saying after the game: “I jump up and jump high and he jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone.”
Ibrahimovic has rapidly become a fan favorite at Old Trafford after linking up again this season with United manager Jose Mourinho, who he worked with at Inter Milan.
However, now United must do without him in domestic action until the April 4 visit of Everton, at the earliest.