Why wasn't Gary Lineker on Match of the Day? Host returns to BBC but not for Premier League highlights show

Presenter Gary Lineker returned to the BBC this weekend following a week away from the broadcaster. Lineker didn’t present the Match of the Day coverage on March 11 following a tweet which criticised the government’s illegal migration bill.

Lineker was suspended after refusing to delete a tweet which compared the language around the government’s illegal immigration bill to “1930’s Germany”. Following the announcement, an array of BBC Sport presenters including Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott stepped back from their presenting duties in solidarity with the former England striker.

On March 13, it was confirmed Linkeker would return to present on the BBC this weekend. However, he was not seen on the Premier League highlights show.

The coverage of highlights, which included Tottenham’s 3-3 draw at Southampton and Leeds’ 4-2 win at Wolves, was presented by Linekers BBC colleague Mark Chapman. However, this wasn’t an extension of Linkeker’s banishment from the BBC.

He was presenting on the BBC - however he was not in the studio. He instead was anchoring coverage of Manchester City v Burnley in the FA Cup quarter final.

Travelling from the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to the BBC Match of the Day studio would have been a stretch. Therefore it was Chapman, who was amongst the BBC staff who walked out in protest, who was booked in to present.