Manchester United suffered a shock Carabao Cup upset against Grimsby Town last week.
Missing out on European football in 2025/26 meant Manchester United entered the Carabao Cup in the second round this season.
However, a 12-11 penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby sent the Red Devils crashing out of the competition.
Ruben Amorim ripped into his players after the Grimsby defeat, with the United coach visibly frustrated and shocked at his side’s performance.
There are no excuses for the performance on the day, but it seems Grimsby made a mistake that means United potentially should have progressed to the next round.
Ruben Amorim looks glum, headshot
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Grimsby fielded an ineligible player against Man United
United suffered a reality check against Grimsby, and Amorim didn’t want to make any excuses for his players after full-time, admitting that the “best team won”.
But it turns out that Grimsby broke the rules by fielding an ineligible player against United.
An official EFL statement was published revealing that Grimsby have been fined £20,000, with £10,000 of that fine suspended until the end of season 2025/26.
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It is reported that Grimsby Town submitted the registration of Clarke Oduor at 12:01 pm on the day before the fixture.
Interestingly, it was Oduor who missed Grimsby’s third penalty in the shootout.
The official rules state that registration must be completed by 12:00 pm, meaning Grimsby narrowly missed the deadline. The League Two club self-reported the breach and it has been decided that a fine is a suitable punishment.
Previous Carabao Cup breach resulted in elimination
While Grimsby’s breach is minor – and quite literally comes down to paperwork being a minute late – United can consider themselves unlucky at not being given a pass to the next round of the competition.
As per BBC Sport, Barnsley were previously expelled from the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player in their cup tie.
Barnsley’s breach was slightly different, as they fielded an ineligible player in an FA Cup replay, with rules stating that only players eligible for the first match could participate.
But it did set a precedent that teams can be expelled for breaching the rules.
READ MORE: Four unforgivable mistakes Ruben Amorim made as Man United are embarrassed by Grimsby Town
Whether or not Amorim believes his side should be in the third round in the first place, is a different matter.
United will have to swallow their pride and accept that Grimsby have progressed. They face Sheffield Wednesday in the next round.