Chelsea vs. Man Utd: Lisandro Martinez suspension decision confirmed by Michael Carrick ahead of Stamford Bridge showdown

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has confirmed that Lisandro Martinez will miss Saturday's Premier League clash against Chelsea through suspension.

Martinez was sent off in the second half of Monday's 2-1 defeat to Leeds United after pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin following an aerial challenge.

Carrick hit out at the referee's decision after the match and hinted that the Red Devils would consider appealing the red card, which has equalled a three-game suspension for the Argentine.

However, the Englishman confirmed during his press conference on Friday that Martinez would not be available for the game against Liam Rosenior's side.

"We didn't agree with it, it's obvious how I felt after the game, and I still feel that way now. I don't want to go into it now, it is what it is. We have to accept it and move on," Carrick told reporters.

Martinez suspended for Man United's next three Premier League matches following red card vs. Leeds

When asked if Martinez would be available on Saturday, Carrick said: "No."

It is unclear whether Man United launched an appeal but were unsuccessful or simply decided to accept the issue of the red card despite disagreeing with the award.

Martinez will also be suspended for the team's following two league games against Brentford and Liverpool, while Harry Maguire has been handed an additional one-match suspension for his conduct after being sent off against Bournemouth last month.

"To be honest, there's not much to react to. I'm disappointed, of course. We've had a few reasons to be disappointed over the last few weeks. We have to move on because the decision has been made," Carrick added when asked about the Englishman.

Heaven in line for start against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

The absences of Martinez and Maguire, and indeed Matthijs de Ligt, who is still out with a long-term back injury, will seemingly open the door for Ayden Heaven to start alongside Leny Yoro in the middle of the Man United defence this weekend.

Carrick has insisted that Heaven is "in a good place" ahead of the match.

“I think Ayden’s in a good place," said Carrick. “Well, I know he’s in a good place. He’s obviously still young and he's progressing through the early stages of his career, so I think it’s pretty natural for him to play some games and maybe not some others.

“He's training really well, he's learning, he's listening, he wants to improve. So, I think it’s pretty natural, for a centre-half of his age, he’s probably well ahead of schedule in terms of the games that he's played.

“He's trained well, I've got no worries. He went away and played with England a couple of weeks ago and done well, so yeah, [he's] looking forward to the game, for sure.”

Kobbie Mainoo has a chance of returning to the squad after missing out against Leeds through injury, but Patrick Dorgu is not yet ready to make his return from a hamstring issue.