Share

Zlatan to miss Arsenal clash through suspension

Cape Town - Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have to watch his side's November 19 encounter with Arsenal from the sidelines after he was shown a yellow card on Sunday. 

Ibrahimovic picked up his fifth booking of the season for a foul on Leroy Fer in his side’s 3-1 win over Swansea City and gets an automatic one-match suspension. 

As a result, the Swede, who scored twice against Swansea in United’s win, will miss his first game for United in the Premier League as he has featured in all 11 of their games thus far. 

Ibrahimovic, though, doesn’t believe that his tackle on Fer deserved a yellow card, and he told BBC Sport: "I thought we played rough in England? I play rough and I got a yellow card. What was it for? I don't know. Maybe I was too tired to hear why the referee gave it."

The 35-year-old’s ended a six-game scoring drought in the Premier League with his brace against Swansea. His last goal prior to that match came against Manchester City in a 2-1 loss on September 10. 

Ibrahimovic’s absence will be a big blow for United as he has found the back of the net eight times and notched up one assist in 17 appearances in all competitions this season.

Jose Mourinho's men will be looking to close the gap to the fourth placed Gunners who are just two points off the English Premiership summit. Mourinho after the victory over Swansea seemingly hit out at Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw for failing to put their bodies on the line for the team and play through the pain barrier.

In a post-match interview Mourinho stated that both players had informed him that they were unavailable for selection through injury, but that he felt the two players needed to give everything for the team.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE