Manchester United have two players who are at risk of bans as Rúben Amorim prepares his squad for a must-win Premier League clash against Crystal Palace.
Manchester United are set to conclude their November schedule with a challenging Sunday lunchtime trip to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
After putting together a five-match unbeaten streak, Rúben Amorim’s Reds slipped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Everton on Monday evening, even though David Moyes’ side went down to ten men inside the opening quarter of an hour.
On a weekend when United had the chance to climb as high as fourth, the defeat at Old Trafford leaves them 10th in the table and level on points with Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool.
Even so, they are only three points behind Aston Villa in fourth, and the tightly packed standings mean every club from fifth to 12th can still believe that a Champions League place is within reach.
Premier League confirm United vs Palace referee
Rob Jones (pictured above) will be the referee on Sunday afternoon in South London. Jones has officiated seven Premier League fixtures this season, three UEFA fixtures, and two in other domestic competitions.
Jones has not officiated United this campaign, but refereed them four times last season: A 1-0 win against Fulham, a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, and a 1-0 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers – all low-scoring fixtures.
This season, Jones issued 21 yellow cards in the Premier League and 43 across all competitions. He has issued no red cards this season and awarded two penalties, one of which came in a Premier League tie between Chelsea and Fulham.
During the game, Neil Davies and Simon Long will serve as Jones’s assistant referees. Andy Madley will be the fourth official on Sunday afternoon, separating Amorim and Oliver Glasner.
Matt Donohue has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee. Tim Wood will act as assistant VAR.
Two United players facing possible ban risk
With the fixture against Crystal Palace representing the 13th league game of the season, the period has arrived where players start accumulating too many yellow cards. Premier League rules state that if a player picks up five before the mid-season point, they will be served a one-game ban.
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Casemiro has already been handed a one-match ban after collecting a red card against Chelsea back in September, and is at risk of a second as he sits on for yellow cards for the campaign, not counting the two he collected against Enzo Maresca’s men.
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu is also close to being handed a one-match ban, as the Dane has received four yellow cards this season.
As for the rest of the squad, Amorim’s men have remained fairly disciplined. Bruno Fernandes is on two for the season in the league, while Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui are on one each, with no other players shown a card.
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