Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has apologised to fans after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Swansea City in the Premier League on Sunday, which rules him out of their next game against Arsenal. The 35-year-old, who scored twice in the 3-1 win over Swansea to help lift his team to sixth in the table, was booked for a tackle on midfielder Leroy Fer in the 76th minute at the Liberty Stadium and incurs an automatic one-game ban. "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," Ibrahimovic told the club's website. (www.manutd.com) "Every time I try to play my game by being strong, and going into the tackles, or whatever it is, I get a yellow card... In England, the football is hard, it's physical." He added he had not registered why he was booked as he was "too tired and did not hear (the referee)". The Premier League resumes on Nov. 19, with fourth-placed Arsenal visiting Old Trafford for the weekend's early kick-off.
United manager Jose Mourinho has no concerns over striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's barren spell as he expects the Swede's "brilliant" attitude to soon be rewarded with goals. The 35-year-old, who joined the club from Paris St Germain in the off-season, has scored just once in his last 11 appearances after he made a bright start to the campaign. "He (Ibrahimovic) is playing well for the team. He's creating a lot of chances and missing a lot of goals," Mourinho told British media. "If I remember Stoke (City), Liverpool, Chelsea, Burnley... he missed a lot of goals but he was fantastic in his dynamic, his working, his building up for the team, he was fantastic. "In every match in the Premier League, even (if he is) not scoring goals, he's being fantastic. His attitude is always brilliant. He's not a guy afraid of his responsibility, so no problem at all." Ibrahimovic's lean spell is not the only cause of concern for Mourinho as his side have netted just 13 times in 10 league games, including three straight fixtures without a goal since the 1-1 draw with Stoke on Oct. 2. United, who have slumped to eighth in the Premier League following a string of poor results, will look to get back to winning ways after the mid-week Europa League loss to Turkish side Fenerbahce when they travel to Swansea City on Sunday.
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