Three more players toppled off the Suspension Tightrope this weekend, with Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas the most high-profile casualty for Fantasy managers. The Spaniard’s fifth yellow card of the campaign means he’s set to miss next weekend’s home encounter with Hull as Jose Mourinho’s men look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season.
Everton’s Gareth Barry and Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko are also unavailable for selection this time around after collecting their fifth cautions. Barry sits out the Toffees’ home clash with QPR on Monday evening, whilst Sissoko misses Newcastle’s trip to the Emirates.
We now have 24 players balancing on the Tightrope after a flurry of cards over the previous Gameweek. Man City’s Yaya Toure is one of the latest new entries after he incurred the referee’s wrath during Saturday evening’s narrow win over Everton. Toure, along with the likes of team-mate Vincent Kompany, Villa’s weekend scorer Alan Hutton, Newcastle right-back Daryl Janmaat and Southampton’s Graziano Pelle, needs to navigate the next four Gameweeks without a yellow in order to avoid an automatic one-match ban.
Five teams – Villa, Hull, City, Southampton and Stoke – are the most affected, with three players apiece all teetering on the Tightrope.
Elsewhere this weekend, Charlie Austin, Calum Chambers, Steven Taylor and Lukas Fabianski will also serve one-match suspensions after being sent off during the weekend. Swansea lost their appeal over Fabianksi’s dismissal at West Ham, after the hosts’ Diafra Sakho was guilty of handball prior to the incident which led to the keeper’s departure.
Leicester’s Paul Konchesky has successfully appealed a three-match ban imposed for violent conduct during the weekend loss at Villa and is available for selection with immediate effect.
In terms of returning players, Neil Taylor, Nemanja Matic, Andi Weimann and Wes Morgan are available once again, having completed their one-match bans. Gaston Ramirez and Claudio Yacob are back for Hull and West Brom respectively after sitting out the last three Gameweeks.
