Manchester United’s difficult start to the season has taken another unwanted turn, with a midfielder contracted to the club receiving the first red card of his senior career.
Michael Carrick’s side headed into the international break with just one Premier League victory after Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham.
A late deflected Matheus Cunha equaliser rescued United at Craven Cottage, but it did little to ease concerns after another passive performance.
Midfield was the major focus of United’s summer business, with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans arriving before the long-running pursuit of Carlos Baleba finally ended successfully.
However, Baleba arrived carrying an ankle injury and United are still waiting to see their new-look midfield reach its full potential.
Now another United midfielder has endured an afternoon to forget, receiving his marching orders as his side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat.
Manchester United midfielder receives first senior red card
The player was Sekou Kone, who is spending the 2026/27 campaign on loan with INEOS-owned Swiss side Lausanne-Sport.
Kone started against unbeaten league leaders FC Lugano on Saturday, but his afternoon ended prematurely during a disastrous second half.
Lausanne’s official website confirmed the 20-year-old was shown a straight red card following a hard challenge on Uran Bislimi, leaving his side with ten men.
Lugano were already 2-0 ahead and quickly capitalised, eventually completing a 4-0 victory.
It was the first red card of Kone’s senior career, coming during his 15th appearance for Lausanne across his two loan spells.
The setback follows some encouraging progress in Switzerland.
Kone has made ten appearances this season, scoring once and registering an assist, after featuring five times during his initial spell last term.
That goal was particularly memorable, with Kone scoring his first senior goal with a stunning long-range strike in a 6-0 Swiss Cup victory.
United signed the Mali youth international from Guidars FC in 2024 after his performances at the Under-17 World Cup attracted widespread attention.
A powerful defensive midfielder renowned for his ball-winning and stamina, Kone’s season-long loan was designed to provide the regular senior football needed for the next stage of his development.