SAINTS captain Jack Stephens is set for a three-match suspension following his red card in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Stephens, 30, was given his marching orders by referee Stuart Atwell in the 79th minute of the match for a bad tackle on Alejandro Garnacho.

VAR assessed the on-field decision and quickly confirmed that Stephens was justifiably sent for an early shower for 'serious foul play'.

Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity only warrants a one-match ban, while dissent leads to a two-match suspension.

Stephens was adjudged to have gone into a dangerous tackle with high studs and will be given an automatic three-match ban as a result.

Suspensions following a red card are applied across both league and cup competitions, meaning Stephens will miss Tuesday's Carabao Cup match at Everton.

Stephens will then serve the remaining ban against Ipswich Town and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, before returning to face Arsenal in October.

Each of the previous two red cards Stephens has received in his Premier League career for Saints, in 2018 and 2020, came against the Gunners.

Only Franny Benali, who was sent off five times in the Premier League for Saints, has been dismissed on more occasions than Stephens (three).

Skipper Stephens has started all four of Southampton's Premier League matches this campaign, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis likely to replace him.

If Stephens is sent off for another red card again this season, he will receive an additional match suspension on top of the automatic suspension applied. 

Players dismissed for a second time will receive an additional match ban, while those dismissed for a third time will receive two additional matches and so forth.

Mohammed Salisu was the last player sent off in a Premier League match for Saints, in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in December 2021.