ZLAT WILL ACCEPT BAN OVER ‘ELBOW’

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic will accept any punishment the Football Association may hit him with following his ‘elbow’ incident involving Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings.

Referee Kevin Friend did not issue a card to United’s 26-goal striker following the flashpoint towards the end of the first half in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

As a result the FA could punish the 35-year-old retrospectively – and a decision is expected today.

Violent conduct carries a three-match ban which would rule Ibrahimovic out of the Chelsea FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge and Premier League matches against Middlesbrough and West Brom. Asked if he was worried about facing a ban, he said: “I respect every decision.”

But the Swede, who would not talk about Mings’ alleged stamp on his head in an incident just moments before, has insisted it was not an intentional elbow.

“I am not here to attack anybody. I am not a player who will stand here and blame a player. What happens on the field stays on the field,” he said.

“But I can talk about my situation, I jumped straight up, he jumps in for me, I jump very high and protect myself at the same time as I always do and go for the ball. He jumps into me and jumps into my elbow.

“Nothing on purpose. It had nothing to do with the situation before because I didn’t even know who had stepped on me. It is the game, the game is hard.”

United special: Pages 46-48