MOTD Host Gary Lineker Explains Why Programme Brushed Over Romelu Lukaku 'Kicking' Incident

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku breathed a sigh of relief after it was confirmed he would not be punished retrospectively for his tangle with Brighton's Gaeten Bong - but there are still many fans who have no idea what's actually gone on.

That's, in-part, down to the fact that Match of the Day failed to include the incident in their highlights programme on Saturday night.

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It came to light in the days after the game that Lukaku had twice tried to kick Bong as the pair jostled in the penalty area, with the Belgian successfully landing one of his kicks.

It has been decided by the FA that the player is to face no further action for his involvement in the incident, meaning he will be available for selection against Watford, Arsenal and most crucially, Manchester City.

The incident failed to make it into Match of the Day's highlights show on Saturday, and now Gary Lineker has offered an explanation as to why.

He said on Twitter: "We didn’t see it at the time. We had 5 games to watch at 3pm. Wasn’t mentioned by a single Sunday newspaper. Only came to light after a few Brighton fans mentions on Twitter late on Saturday night. Certainly was not a decision to not show it."

The off-the-ball incident evidently passed everyone by, and the television pictures certainly indicate that Lukaku is a lucky boy.