Manchester United cruised into the last 16 of the Europa League, but it came at a cost.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s early away goal gave the Premier League side an insurmountable 4-0 aggregate lead over Saint-Étienne, but the Armenian was forced off injured before half-time.
And it got worse after the break, when Eric Bailly picked up a yellow card which will rule him out of United’s last-16 game, whoever that ends up being against.
60' – Bailly receives a yellow card for challenge on Hamouma, ruling him out of the last 16 first leg. #MUFC #UEL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 22, 2017
And that’s when things started to get confusing.
Less than five minutes later, Bailly was booked again and given his marching orders.
Now, a red card awarded for two bookings usually leads to a one-match ban, but Bailly already had a one-match ban, so what happens now?
Well, the answer, it seems, is a lot of people asking ‘what happens now?’.
Eric Bailly was suspended for the next game anyway so that won't change in terms of games missed will it??
— Alex Turk (@AlexCTurk) February 22, 2017
Lazy journalism: Bailly was already suspended for one match anyway, so what happens now?
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) February 22, 2017
What game is Bailly suspended for now?
— Yo (@ManLikePogs) February 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/MarkelHenry_20/status/834468623762735104
Thankfully, we now have an answer, we think.
It seems Bailly will still just miss the one game – the first leg of the last 16 – but when he returns, he will be one yellow card away from another suspension.
As explained in the Europa League regulations:
‘From the first match in the group stage, a player is suspended for the next competition match after three cautions in three different matches, as well as following any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc.)’
Are you still following?
Obviously there might have been the small matter of Bailly’s dismissal affecting the outcome of the last-32 game, but that was already done and dusted long before the Ivorian saw red.
Now, if anything like this ever happens again, you’ll have no excuse for not knowing what happens next.
