From the Guardian’s Dominic Fifield in Friday’s edition :

Manchester United bowed to the inevitable last night and opted against contesting the charge of violent conduct levelled by the Football Association against Wayne Rooney but not before Sir Alex Ferguson called the FA’s disciplinary procedures as “flawed” and “immoral”.

The 19-year-old will miss Premiership games against Middlesbrough and Tottenham, as well as the FA Cup tie with Exeter City, after the FA’s video panel studied footage of him pushing Bolton’s defender Tal Ben Haim in the face in United’s 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

United had the option of denying the charge, though that would merely have seen an FA disciplinary commission meet this morning to discuss the issue.

The Old Trafford club would have had no representation at that hearing, with the most likely outcome being confirmation of the three-match ban regardless.