The Football Association will look into a social media post made by Edinson Cavani that could land the Uruguayan in hot water.
The striker inspired Manchester United’s comeback 3-2 victory over Southampton with two goals after coming off the bench.
Replying to a message of congratulations on Instagram, Cavani used the Spanish term ‘negrito’, which translates as ‘black’.
United stressed that the word was clearly used in an affectionate manner and has different connotations in South America, where Cavani is from.
The club said the 33-year-old had been made aware such terms are viewed as offensive in the UK and he subsequently deleted the post.
The FA, which is aware of the matter and will investigate, issued guidelines ahead of this season clamping down on racist and discriminatory language and behaviour, with offences on social media carrying a minimum three-game ban.
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Dele Alli of Tottenham were both suspended for one match last season after posts that breached FA guidelines.
Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out released a short statement regarding Cavani’s post, which read: “We are aware of a comment made last night on social media by Edinson Cavani that, in its native tongue, can be offensive in some contexts.
“We understand that the FA is investigating and the club and player are co-operating with that investigation. We await the outcome of that investigation.
“As we have said before, we believe that it would be helpful for overseas players, coming to England, to have routine education on language that may be unacceptable in this country.”
