VAR officials miss Manchester derby weekend

The video assistant referee for the Manchester derby, Matt Donohue, and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, will not be appointed for this weekend's Premier League fixtures. Their absence means the derby will be overseen by a different VAR team. This change follows a routine reassignment of officials across the league.

VAR officials play a critical role in Premier League matches, reviewing decisions from the touchline and providing video evidence to the on‑field referee.

For the upcoming weekend, the video assistant referee who usually covers the Manchester derby, Matt Donohue, and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, will not be assigned to any of the league fixtures.

The absence of these officials means that the derby will be overseen by a different VAR team, a routine change that does not affect the match’s integrity.

Premier League officials are rotated regularly to manage workload and maintain impartiality, and the league will appoint other qualified VARs for the weekend’s games.

Fans can expect the same level of scrutiny on the field, with the new VAR team following the same procedures and protocols as the regular staff.