Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez has apologised to supporters after being sent off in their 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Saturday.
The Spaniard was shown a straight red card just four minutes into the match for fouling Bryan Mbeumo outside the penalty area in a last-man challenge. Referee Peter Bankes wasted no time in sending him off, leaving Chelsea with a difficult task at Old Trafford.
The early dismissal forced head coach Enzo Maresca to reshuffle his team with quick substitutions. United took advantage, scoring twice to go 2-0 up before Trevoh Chalobah pulled one back late on. Despite their efforts, Chelsea could not find an equaliser.
After the game, Sánchez posted an apology on Instagram:
“On me today guys, big sorry for that. The team put in a massive effort in the second half but couldn’t get there.”
The 26-year-old will now miss Chelsea’s upcoming matches through suspension, with Maresca expected to choose between Djordje Petrović and Lucas Bergström as his replacement.