Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card during the 2-1 defeat to Leeds in the Premier League on Monday night.

Manchester United are set to lodge an appeal in an attempt to overturn Lisandro Martinez’s red card against Leeds, meaning the sending off will be reviewed by an FA disciplinary panel.

Martinez briefly pulled on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair in the second half of the defeat to Leeds. He received a straight red card for violent conduct, and Michael Carrick slammed the decision after the final whistle.

United will base their appeal on the lack of force in the action. Martinez had Calvert-Lewin’s hair in his grasp, but United will argue the defender’s action during the aerial duel was neither forceful nor intentional.

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IFAB’s guidelines define violent conduct as “when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a teammate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.”

The PGMOL’s handbook for 2025/26 stated on hair pulling: “A player, when not challenging for the ball, will be sent off if they are clearly pulling the hair of an opponent with force.”

United could get the red card overturned if they convince the disciplinary panel that the action lacked force, but that argument will be weakened by the fact that Calvert-Lewin fell to the floor.

There is also a recent example in the Premier League that suggests a successful appeal is unlikely, as Everton defender Michael Keane was shown a red card in a similar hair-pulling incident against Wolves in January.

Everton lodged an appeal and the incident was reviewed by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel, but the majority view of the panel was that “the forceful pulling of a person’s hair can be said to fall outside the normal constituent elements of a challenge in football”.

The panel voted 2:1 that the red card was not incorrect and three games were not excessive. The other panel member said it was “an action born out of instinct and of minimal force”.

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The appeal against the length of the ban was rejected because it was felt that a red card for pulling an opponent’s hair could not be seen as “truly exceptional”. Everton released a club statement hitting out against the decision, while David Moyes said he was “hugely disappointed and surprised”.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb expanded on the rulebook guidelines after Keane’s sending-off. “For some years now, actions where players pull opponents’ hair have been deemed as violent conduct,” he said.

“You don’t see that often, you sometimes see it with players maybe in confrontation with one another, not battling for the ball. I’m told if you have your hair pulled, it’s quite an offensive thing to happen to you.

“I’ve not had mine pulled for a long time, but I think we’ve recognised that and it is in the guidance that we give to clubs before the season starts. Grabbing somebody’s hair with force is deemed violent conduct and a player will be sent off. It was the appropriate outcome.

“It was unusual but if we see it again next week, it will be the same outcome next week as well.”

Martinez is facing a three-match ban and could miss games against Chelsea, Brentford and Liverpool.

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