Greater Manchester police have been informed after Manchester United stewards ejected a supporter during the 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday because of alleged racial abuse.

United have opened an investigation with a club spokesman saying: “We are aware of an incident at yesterday’s game where an individual in the home section has allegedly engaged in racial abuse. The individual was identified and ejected from the stadium.

“We are investigating the matter as a priority. Racism and all forms of discrimination are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values of our club.”

If found guilty, the fan could be banned indefinitely. The Premier League held its No Room for Racism campaign at the weekend that encouraged fans to report any abuse heard at matches.

A Liverpool spokesperson said: “At this stage it would be inappropriate to comment further on the alleged incident itself other than to welcome the swiftness with which Manchester United have launched an investigation and support their stance that racism and discrimination must be treated with zero tolerance.”

The alleged racial abuse is the latest in a series of incidents that have taken place since the start of the season. At the end of August, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba suffered slurs on Twitter after they missed penalties against Crystal Palace and Wolves, respectively.

Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Reading’s Yakou Méïté have also been racially abused on the social media platform.

Northampton have been made aware of alleged discriminatory chanting from Salford fans during Saturday’s game at Sixfields, while Bedfordshire police have conformed they are investigating two allegations of racist and indecent chanting coming from the Bristol City section during the Championship match at Luton.