'You can't blame the ref' - Says Mike Dean as he delivers verdict on Matthijs De Ligt Injury Controversy

Manchester United vs. Brentford was an exciting match at Old Trafford, but it was ruined by an ugly incident involving defender Matthijs De Ligt. Ethan Pinnock headed in a corner seconds before halftime to give the Brentford the lead. This goal was interesting not only for its timing but also because it brought attention to a problem with De Ligt’s injury that caused a lot of discussion during the game.

Halfway into the first half, De Ligt was involved in an unintentional altercation that resulted in a bloodied head wound, starting off the drama. He required several treatments from United’s medical staff due to the severity of the injury. Referee Sam Barrott ruled that De Ligt could not stay on the pitch because of the bleeding as the first half was coming to an end. Any player who is bleeding must leave the pitch until the injury is treated, under the rules of the game.

Brentford took advantage of the fact that De Ligt was off the pitch. They won a corner a few seconds later, and Pinnock took advantage of it to score with a strong header. United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, and the team were upset and furious because they had lost one of their greatest defenders at an important time.

Ten Hag said he was disappointed after the game. According to him, De Ligt wasn’t bleeding badly when the corner occurred. “It was dry blood. He had already been treated for the injury. I didn’t understand why he was sent off,” he said. The United boss stated the value of having De Ligt on the pitch, particularly while facing Brentford, a team known for its dangerous set pieces. Since Brentford excels at corners and we were without one of our finest headers, it was an important time. We were very upset at halftime,” he continued.

Mike Dean, a former Premier League referee, viewed the incident differently, though. He made the point on Soccer Saturday that Manchester United’s medical staff, not the match officials, are to blame for the situation. “There is no fault whatsoever for the match officials. Once he is bleeding, he cannot stay on the pitch. The referee had no choice. You can’t blame the ref. You can blame the medical team for not stopping the bleeding.” Dean said

According to Dean’s remarks, De Ligt’s injury was not sufficiently attended to by the medical team, which caused the situation to worsen to the point where the referee had to step in. This gives the conversation a new dimension and places some of the blame on United’s medical staff for failing to make sure De Ligt was fit enough to play.

De Ligt’s injury was a blow, but Manchester United was able to turn around the game in the second half. United won 2-1 thanks to goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho. Although the team’s persistence and determination was shown by their comeback, the controversy surrounding De Ligt’s absence continued to dominate post-game conversations.