Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed on Saturday that they would consider appealing Casemiro's red card following his dismissal during Saturday's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian, who has been a revelation since joining the club from Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid last summer, was sent off with 70 minutes on the clock for a coming together with Palace midfielder Will Hughes. Casemiro reacted angrily to Jeffrey Schlupp's hefty challenge on Antony and appeared to grab Hughes in the midst of a melee between both sets of players.
Referee Andre Marriner, following a VAR check and a look at the pitchside monitor, deemed Casemiro's actions to be violent conduct, with the video angle he had seen appearing to show the Brazil international grab Hughes by the neck. However, an alternative angle showed that the United midfielder had got hold of Hughes' shirt collar rather than his neck.
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If United do chose to appeal the decision, they will have to act quickly, given they play again on Wednesday night, hosting Leeds at Old Trafford.
Here are the FA rules regarding the red card appeals process:
What are the rules?
Clubs can only launch an appeal if a player has been brandished with a straight red card, meaning players who are sent off following two bookings must serve their ban without dispute. United must file an appeal to the FA under the category of 'wrongful dismissal'.
An independent regulatory commission at the FA will review the incident and decide whether it was correct for Marriner to send Casemiro off. In the Brazilian's case, the panel must decide whether his actions met the threshold for violent conduct.
Could Casemiro's ban be extended if the appeal is unsuccessful?
With Casemiro, as things stand, scheduled to miss the two clashes with Leeds and the tussle with Leicester City on February 19, United will not want another game adding to his suspension. As things stand, Casemiro will not be available for selection in the league again until United face Liverpool on March 5.
Although it is unlikely to be considered if United do appeal the decision, if the panel choose to throw the case out, reject it and deem it to be a 'frivolous appeal', then an extra game will be added to Casemiro's suspension. That would mean he'd miss the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle towards the end of February.
However, an appeal can be rejected without the punishment of an extra game if it is considered that there was justification for an appeal. It is rare for players to have three-game bans increased to four.
When will the outcome be confirmed?
United must file their appeal within two days of the incident taking place, meaning they must submit their case by Monday. If they do press ahead with that decision, they will almost certainly discover the outcome by Tuesday, just a day before their clash with Leeds at Old Trafford.
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