Lisandro Martinez's red card appeal is set to fail, resulting in a three-match suspension! Carrick's center-back pairing is confirmed, with the two players combined age being 39.

Manchester United has appealed the red card given to Lisandro Martinez in the 1-2 defeat to Leeds United, with the goal of revoking this penalty. This indicates that the foul and the decision will be re-examined by the FA disciplinary committee. Nonetheless, British media generally anticipate that this appeal will not succeed.

During the clash with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Martinez was hit on the face and neck by the opponent's right hand, and he pulled the opponent's hair. VAR intervened, and the action was judged as violent conduct, leading to Martinez being sent off with a direct red card. After the match, Manchester United manager Carrick expressed strong dissatisfaction.

Manchester United will argue that the opponent's action was not sufficiently forceful. Martinez indeed grabbed Calvert-Lewin's hair, but United's defense emphasizes that the 28-year-old Argentine international lost balance during the aerial challenge, did not intentionally pull the hair, and the pulling motion was not forceful.

The regulations of the International Football Association Board state that violent conduct refers to a player using or attempting to use excessive force or violence against an opponent without the objective of contesting for the ball; similarly, such actions against teammates, team staff, referees, spectators, or any other person also constitute violent conduct, regardless of whether physical contact occurs.

The Premier League refereeing body PGMOL has specifically outlined rules regarding hair-pulling fouls in this season's rulebook: if a player intentionally and forcefully pulls an opponent's hair without the aim of contesting for the ball, that player will be sent off.

If Manchester United can persuade the disciplinary committee that Martinez's action was not malicious, there is a possibility the red card could be rescinded. However, Calvert-Lewin fell to the ground immediately, which weakens the persuasiveness of United's argument. Moreover, recent precedents in the Premier League indicate that similar appeals are unlikely to succeed.

In January, Everton's former Manchester United academy player Michael Keane was sent off for pulling an opponent's hair against Wolves. Moyes was also furious and appealed. The Premier League's Key Incident Panel reviewed the case and concluded that pulling an opponent's hair itself does not fall within the normal scope of physical contest in the game.

The panel's vote at that time was 2-1, upholding the red card and the three-match suspension. The dissenting panel member believed Keane's action was merely instinctive and used minimal force. That argument resembles the one Manchester United intends to use now.

Everton's request to reduce the suspension was also rejected, as the panel deemed that a red card for hair-pulling does not constitute an extremely exceptional circumstance. Everton publicly expressed dissatisfaction, while Moyes said he was very surprised and disappointed. In response, refereeing chief Howard Webb emphasized the relevant regulations.

"For many years, pulling an opponent's hair has been considered violent conduct," Webb said. "It's not a common occurrence. Sometimes, you see players clash without contesting for the ball. I've been informed that if hair is pulled, it is an offensive act. I need to be told because I'm bald; no one can pull my hair for a long time! But I can empathize. We issued guidance to all clubs before the season, clearly stating that forcibly grabbing an opponent's hair is violent conduct, and the involved player will be sent off. Therefore, this outcome is appropriate. Such scenes are unusual, but if it happens again next week, the result will be the same."

The Athletic reports that PGMOL supports Martinez's red card, believing it correctly applied the rules. Consequently, Martinez facing a three-match suspension is highly likely; he will miss Manchester United's matches against Chelsea, Brentford, and Liverpool.

The match against Chelsea is Manchester United's most crucial and challenging fixture, as the 33-year-old veteran center-back Maguire will also be suspended at Stamford Bridge. He was sent off in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, originally facing only a one-match ban, but his angry remarks to the fourth official led to an additional one-match suspension, also ruling him out against Chelsea.

Carrick will have to deploy a completely new center-back pairing! Since taking charge in January, Carrick has consistently preferred not to change the lineup. Statistics show that the 44-year-old United legend has used only 16 starting players across 11 matches. Ethan Haven now has the chance to become the 17th.

Carrick's preferred center-back pairing since his appointment has been Maguire alongside Martinez. After Martinez's injury, 20-year-old Lenny Yoro replaced him, playing five matches. The 19-year-old Haven has never started, previously only coming on as a late substitute to bolster defense.

In the match against Leeds United, Carrick opted to start the recently recovered Martinez directly rather than choosing Haven. Interestingly, this English center-back, who came through Arsenal's academy, was born in September 2006, around the time player Carrick joined Manchester United for £18.6 million from Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham.

If Yoro is paired with Haven, the combined age of the two center-backs is only 39, very young, especially compared to the Maguire-Martinez combination (61 years). The positive news is that Chelsea has the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average age of just 22.5. However, the downside is that the two have limited experience playing together in a four-man defense, certainly posing a risk in coordination.

This is not Carrick's preferred management style; he favors proven and effective tactical systems, which is why he rarely adjusts the starting lineup, whether at Middlesbrough or Manchester United. You can easily predict what Maguire might contribute in a match or his potential shortcomings, but young players like Haven are unpredictable—they might excel suddenly or make mistakes.

Haven's last start was in a Premier League match against Burnley under Darren Fletcher's management. Since then, he has played only 1 minute against Everton, 5 minutes against Crystal Palace, and 8 minutes against Bournemouth. Now, this left-footed young center-back, who joined Manchester United for £1 million, has a golden opportunity to prove he can become a future starter for United. Haven and Yoro have a good relationship off the field, having trained together in Dubai, which could be an advantage.