Man Utd Face Wait to See if Paul Pogba Ban Could be Extended After 'Sarcastic Applause'

Manchhester United midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly at risk of seeing his three-game suspension for a straight red card against Arsenal at the weekend extended as a result of the sarcastic applause he seemingly aimed at the referee as he left the pitch.

Pogba reacted with surprise at the decision from referee Andre Marriner to produce a red card following a 50/50 challenge with Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin.

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As the Frenchman walked away after his dismissal, he could be seen clapping his hands together.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the FA will judge whether further action is necessary after receiving a report from Marriner on Monday.

While many interpreted Pogba's actions to be a sarcastic response to his dismissal, there is no proof that it was intended as a deliberate sign of disrespect or act of misconduct. For example, he was walking away as it happened - different from when a young Wayne Rooney clapped in the face of Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen in the Champions League.

There is also enough doubt to suggest that the clapping response could have been an action to gee up his remaining team-mates, or an expression of his own frustration after being sent off.

Pogba is guaranteed to miss the upcoming Manchester derby against local rivals and Premier League leaders City at Old Trafford on Sunday. He will also be missing for the Premier League games against Bournemouth and West Brom in the coming weeks.

Should the FA deem the clapping to be tantamount to misconduct, the ban could be extended to four games. If that is to be the case, Pogba would subsequently miss the Carabao Cup quarter final against Bristol City on 20th December.

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One could argue that he may not have been selected to play in that game anyway, and therefore whether the FA chooses to extend his ban by another game bears little importance.