Another day, another debatable red card – this time shown to Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijaš for his edge of the box challenge on Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta that won the ball but took out the player in the process. Reports again suggest that this will be appealed, so the FA are likely to be asked to rule on both the players currently on our suspended players list before any ban is served.
As for Conor Sammon on Monday, Milijaš would be in line to miss fixtures in gameweeks 19 and 20 (in this case: bol, CHE), and the third round FA cup tie – a tasty derby match at Birmingham.
Over on the suspension tightrope, there were no additions from the Tuesday games, so the two new faces detailed yesterday are the last through the gate. The twenty names below are therefore alone in running the final game gauntlet as they aim to avoid a booking, and the immediate suspension that will follow it in gameweek 20.
No players are two yellow cards away from a ban any more, as the new threshold will be extended to 10 yellows in January and then any player accruing this number of cautions before “the second Sunday in April” will be subject to a ban of two matches. Currently, as you’ll be able to see from the stats in the members’ area, Jason Lowe of Blackburn, and Gary Caldwell of Wigan share the dubious honour of leading the race for this prize, each having collected 7 yellow cards already in the first half of the season – April is a long way away for them.
GAMEWEEK 19 BANS
- Conor Sammon (Wigan) – 1 Red for serious foul play (First of 3 matches)
- Nenad Milijaš (Wolves) – 1 Red for serious foul play (First of 3 matches)
SUSPENSION TIGHTROPE – FOUR BOOKINGS
- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
- Stiliyan Petrov (Aston Villa)
- Míchel Salgado (Blackburn)
- Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton)
- Paul Robinson (Bolton)
- Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
- Raul Meireles (Chelsea)
- Moussa Dembélé (Fulham)
- Brede Hangeland (Fulham)
- Danny Murphy (Fulham)
- Steve Sidwell (Fulham)
- Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle)
- Cheick Tioté (Newcastle)
- Robert Huth (Stoke)
- Glenn Whelan (Stoke)
- Scott Parker (Tottenham)
- Steven Reid (West Brom)
- Paul Scharner (West Brom)
- Richard Stearman (Wolves)
