For the vast majority of Premier League players, the threat of a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation is now lifted.
Gameweek 19 was the final hurdle to overcome for 35 of the 40 players on the cusp of a suspension. Most – but not at all – made it through unscathed.
However, Liverpool and Everton players on four bookings are still at risk in Gameweek 20.
All you need to know about the disciplinary situation in the English top flight is in this article.
WHEN ARE THE CUT-OFF POINTS FOR SUSPENSIONS?
We have taken the table above from the Football Association website. It details the cut-off points for the various yellow card thresholds.
Premier League players had to avoid five bookings in their team’s first 19 league matches of the season. All bar the two Merseyside clubs, whose meeting at Goodison Park was postponed earlier this month, have now contested 19 fixtures.
Punishments for yellow card accumulation are competition-specific, whereas suspensions for dismissals cover all competitive matches.
WHICH PLAYERS SERVE SUSPENSIONS IN GAMEWEEK 19?
Jurrien Timber (£5.7m), Morgan Rogers (£5.5m), Fabian Schar (£5.4m), Matheus Fernandes (£5.0m) and Rodrigo Bentancur (£4.9m) all fell at the last fence and picked up their fifth bookings of the season in Gameweek 19. A one-match ban awaits each of them.
Away from the yellow card count, Matheus Cunha (£7.0m) has been slapped with a two-match suspension. Only one of those games is a Premier League fixture, however, so he’ll return in Gameweek 21.
Jhon Duran (£5.8m) still has two matches to go of his three-match suspension, although as is the case with Cunha, one of those is an FA Cup third-round tie.
It could get worse for the Colombian, who has been charged with improper conduct by the FA.
Mykhailo Mudryk (£6.2m) remains provisionally suspended by the Football Association after returning a positive drugs test.
WHO IS BACK FROM A BAN IN GAMEWEEK 20?
Bruno Fernandes (£8.3m) and Djed Spence (£4.4m) will return this weekend after their Gameweek 18 red cards.
Matty Cash (£4.4m), Justin Kluivert (£5.5m), Marc Guehi (£4.5m), Jordan Ayew (£5.2m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.3m), Manuel Ugarte (£4.9m), Ryan Yates (£4.9m), Tomas Soucek (£4.9m) and Guido Rodriguez (£4.8m) are all back from one-match bans for yellow card accumulation.
ON FOUR YELLOW CARDS
So, then, it’s just these seven players who are still at risk of picking up a one-match suspension.
Should the Everton trio get through their clash with Bournemouth without a caution, the imminent risk is lifted.
The same goes for the Liverpool foursome and their meeting with Manchester United.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The next target to avoid is 10 yellow cards. Anyone collecting that many bookings before their team has contested 32 fixtures will face a two-match ban.
No one is close to that figure yet, with the above quartet the nearest on seven cautions.
Keep your eyes peeled on our Suspension Tightrope widget (which can be found on the sidebar of the home page) over the coming weeks and months. We’ll be updating that after every Gameweek to keep you informed on the latest disciplinary developments.
