Matthijs de Ligt Sustains Cut on Head Against Brentford, Manchester United Concede While Temporarily Down to 10 Men

Manchester United went a goal down to Brentford in the final knocking of the opening period of the Premier League game at Old Trafford on Sunday after defender Matthijs de Ligt was asked to leave the pitch for medical attention after the Dutchman had sustained a cut.

The defender was bleeding profusely from the cut on his head and was asked to leave the pitch for treatment of the wound around the 40th minute of play. The Dutchman was sent back onto the field after wiping the blood off his face, but was asked to step off the pitch again during the first half added time.

With De Ligt off the field of play, United couldn’t stop a Brentford corner which ended up in the back of the net as the hosts were temporarily down to 10 men.

Ethan Pinnock escaped his marker during the Brentford set piece and headed the ball beyond United custodian Andre Onana to send a bulge into the net and put the visitors ahead in the fifth minute of added time in the first half of the game.

The eventual protest from the United players earned United defender Johnny Evans and assistant coach Ruud Van Nistelrooy yellow cards for dissent towards the referee.

According to the stipulations, a player has to leave the field of play if he is bleeding and can only return to the game after having addressed the wound, preferably with a bandage to stop further bleeding.

United pulled level after the resumption of play following the halt time break as Alejandro Garnacho smashed a volley into the net as he connected sweetly with a dangerous ball into the area by Marcus Rashford as the Old Trafford burst into celebration.

The hosts turned the game on its head when Rasmus Hojlund netted United’s second as Erik ten Hag’s men grabbed the lead for the first time in the game a couple of minutes after the hour mark.