The silver lining brought about by Saturday’s 2-0 win at Cardiff was offset by yet another defensive cloud for Big Sam Allardyce. Already devoid of James Collins and Winston Reid at the heart of his back-four, the Hammers boss must make do without the services of James Tomkins for next weekend’s visit of Newcastle after the centre-half was sent packing against the Bluebirds.
Tomkins is set to serve a one-match ban for picking up a couple of yellow cards, then, and is one of five players out of next week’s action as a result of suspension. Tomkins’ team-mate Kevin Nolan will also miss facing his former club, as he completes a four-game suspension, whilst Newcastle’s Mathieu Debuchy skips the Upton Park showdown, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa looking set to deputise again at right-back for Alan Pardew’s side.
Southampton’s record signing Pablo Osvaldo in unable to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and United squad player Fabio will also be absent from the Gameweek 22 action as they each serve the last of respective three-match bans.
In our updated Suspension Tightrope, Villa’s Fabian Delph still leads the way on eight cautions – two more bookings before the second Sunday of April (Gameweek 34) and he’ll be looking at a suspension. Swansea’s Angel Rangel, West Brom’s Jonas Olsson and Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor are now up to seven bookings apiece after incurring the referee’s wrath in Gameweek 21, whilst a quartet of north-east based protagonists also feature in our shake-up.
Newcastle midfield duo Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote received their sixth cautions of the campaign in a bad-tempered affair against City at St James’ Park on Sunday, whilst Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley and Jack Colback are in the same boat after being booked in the Black Cats’ 4-1 rout of Fulham. City right-back Pablo Zabaleta also moved past the five-card count last weekend. We now have 23 players with six or more bookings to their name this term, with Villa’s tally of four players the most of any club.
