Ibrahimovic handed three-match ban for violent conduct

Image: Britain Soccer Football – Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth – Premier League – Old Trafford – 4/3/17 Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff

LONDON (Reuters) – Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was handed a three-match ban with immediate effect on Tuesday after admitting a charge of violent conduct and accepting the standard penalty, the FA said.

The charge followed an incident just before halftime in Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Britain Soccer Football – Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth – Premier League – Old Trafford – 4/3/17 Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings are spoken to by referee Kevin Friend Reuters / Andrew Yates

Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings landed on the Swede’s head with his studs and Ibrahimovic caught Mings in the face with his elbow soon afterwards.

The clash was not seen by the match officials at the time but was caught on video.

Ibrahimovic will miss Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea and Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

The 35-year-old Swede, who has scored 26 goals in his first season at United, is eligible to play in the Europa League last- 16 tie against Rostov and travelled with the squad for the first leg in Russia on Thursday.

 

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin and Ed Osmond, editing by Toby Davis)
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