Zlatan Ibrahimovic Apologises to Manchester United Fans for Arsenal Suspension

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic issued an apology to the club’s supporters after picking up his fifth booking of the Premier League season and a subsequent suspension for the crunch clash with Arsenal.

The veteran sharpshooter found the net twice on Sunday for the Red Devils in a much-needed 3-1 win, although it was a bittersweet day for the forward, who was issued with a yellow card following a clash with Leroy Fer. Ibrahimovic will miss the showdown with the Gunners on November 19 as a result and is gutted he can’t take part.

“In England, the football is hard, it's physical. I just have to accept it,” he told MUTV (h/t Ben Burrows of the Daily Mirror). “I’ve got to be professional. I'm sorry I am suspended for the next game. I wish I wasn't as it's a game I really wanted to play in. But I have trust in my team-mates and the team and I know they can do fine also without me.”

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Although matches between United and Arsenal are typically some of the most fiery in the Premier League, the disappointment will be twofold for Ibrahimovic.

After all, his goal brace at the Liberty Stadium ended a run of six games without finding the net in English football’s top flight. With an international break to come, it means the 35-year-old won’t be able to don the Red Devils' colours until November 24, when they host Feyenoord in a crucial UEFA Europa League match.

As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports Statto, the veteran Swede reached a remarkable landmark thanks to his double at Swansea:

While the goals haven’t been flowing too frequently for the mercurial forward lately, manager Jose Mourinho said Ibrahimovic has been assuming a key role for United.

“I used to say that a striker who doesn’t score goals and does nothing else is one player less,” he said to MUTV (h/t Burrows) of the former Paris Saint-Germain star. “But a striker that doesn’t score goals but does everything else is a very important player for the team. He wasn’t scoring goals but he was doing everything else.”

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The forward has been a crucial foil at the point of the attack for the Red Devils at times, although in some matches, the striker has looked a little jaded recently. Indeed, while Ibrahimovic was back in the goals on Sunday, Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo took a more cynical view of his return to form:

Ibrahimovic will be downcast when November 19 rolls around and he’s not involved in Mourinho’s squad for one of the marquee Premier League matches. But given his recent struggles up top, perhaps this prolonged rest will represent a blessing in disguise for the striker.

After all, so far this season, Ibrahimovic has played every single minute of United’s 11 Premier League games. That’s a massive workload for a footballer in the twilight of his career.

Those who frequent Old Trafford will be hoping to see a revitalised and determined striker against Feyenoord for what is a huge game.