Manchester United's Ashley Young to serve three-game ban after accepting violent conduct charge

Manchester United stalwart Ashley Young will serve a three-match suspension after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association (FA) following Saturday's (30 December) Premier League clash with Southampton.

The 32-year-old featured for the entirety of a frustrating goalless draw at Old Trafford despite appearing to elbow Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic in the midriff as the two jostled for position on the goal-line during a 58th-minute Saints corner.

The incident, missed by match officials, was picked up by television cameras and has since been debated on highlights shows including the BBC's Match of the Day.

As it was omitted from referee Craig Pawson's post-match report, The FA were entitled to step in.

According to the governing body's official website: "Off the ball incidents which are not seen at the time are referred by The FA to a panel of three former elite match officials.

"Each panel member will review the video footage independently of one another to determine whether they consider it a sending-off offence. For retrospective action to be taken, and an FA charge to follow, the decision of the panel must be unanimous."

With United due to travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on New Year's Day, Young was given until 17.00 GMT on Sunday to respond to the charge. He accepted the ruling and arguments that a three-match ban was excessive were rejected by the regulatory commission.

The Red Devils host Championship promotion contenders Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday 5 January before taking on Stoke City.

Young has enjoyed a real resurgence at United under Jose Mourinho and played predominantly as a left wing-back before switching to the opposite flank as the result of a hamstring injury sustained by fellow elder statesman Antonio Valencia. The former Watford and Aston Villa winger's consistent form even saw him return to the senior England squad last month for the first time in four years for high-profile friendly fixtures against Germany and Brazil.

That stalemate against Southampton - in which Paul Pogba's late effort was ruled out for offside and Mourinho felt his team were denied a blatant penalty after a first-half handball by centre-back Maya Yoshida - means that United have now gone three games without a win in addition to slipping behind Chelsea into third.

With Valencia already sidelined along with the likes of Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian, Marouane Fellaini and captain Michael Carrick, the absence of Young would only add to Mourinho's growing selection headache.

Key striker Romelu Lukaku looks set to miss at least the games against Everton and Derby after a painful clash of heads with Wesley Hoedt led to him being stretchered off wearing an oxygen mask following a delay lasting several minutes. Fellow frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic faces another month out with a knee problem, meanwhile.

Along with Young, the FA announced that Swansea City full-back Kyle Naughton would miss meetings with Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United after admitting his own charge of violent conduct handed down after he appeared to stamp on Watford striker Stefano Okaka during a last-gasp 2-1 win at Vicarage Road.