Man Utd lose star central defender when competing for Super Cup with Real

European football governing body UEFA has decided to impose a heavier penalty than expected on Eric Bailly.

On July 24, UEFA decided to suspend Bailly for three matches. The reason for the heavy punishment was Bailly's action of pushing Guidetti in the face during the second leg of the Europa League semi-final two months ago.

Bailly shoved Guidetti in the face during the argument.

Having missed the final (a 2-0 win over Ajax), the Man Utd centre-back will have to sit out two more games. This means he will not be able to play when Man Utd face Real Madrid in the European Super Cup on August 8 and the first match of the Champions League group stage.

According to UEFA, Bailly's actions were violent. The incident also damaged the image of professional football in the eyes of the audience.

Bailly is a key centre-back for Man Utd. Last season, when he first joined the team, the player wearing the number 3 shirt played 38 matches and won three titles.

Without Bailly in the European Super Cup, coach Jose Mourinho will likely use new signing Victor Lindelof. The Swedish centre-back recently joined Man Utd from Benfica.

Man Utd and Real recently played a friendly match at the ICC. The Red Devils won 2-1 in the penalty shootout, after 90 minutes of play ended in a 1-1 draw.

Bailly competes for the ball with Marcelo in a friendly match on July 23. Photo: Reuters

According to VNE