In the Suspension Tightrope, we keep an eye on the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players who are racking up the yellow cards and nearing a one-match ban.
The cut-off dates and thresholds for suspensions are also discussed in this piece.
Finally, we round up the individuals already suspended and who will be returning from a ban in Gameweek 8.
WHEN ARE THE CUT-OFF POINTS FOR SUSPENSIONS?
The table above is taken from the Football Association website. It details the cut-off points for the various yellow card thresholds.
The one we’re concerned about right now is the five-caution mark. This is an unwanted target that Premier League players will have to avoid for their team’s first 19 league matches of the season.
Punishments for yellow card accumulation are competition-specific, whereas suspensions for dismissals cover all competitive matches.
ON FOUR YELLOW CARDS
Igor Thiago (£7.8m) has joined three others – Vitaly Janelt (£5.0m), Oli McBurnie (£5.5m) and Matt Crooks (£4.4m) – who were already on four bookings ahead of Gameweek 7.
Thiago has been booked four matches on the spin, and has 12 more Gameweeks to avoid another.
Janelt, of course, was sent off at the weekend, but those two bookable offences don’t affect his yellow card count above.
ON THREE YELLOW CARDS
There are 11 others on three bookings. These players have to avoid two cautions in their next dozen top-flight fixtures in order to swerve a ban.
Five players joined these ranks in Gameweek 7.
The top-scoring FPL midfielder, the 45% owned Pascal Gross (£6.1m), is among this group.
So too is Yoane Wissa (£6.1m), who Fantasy managers are losing faith with; he’s the most-sold forward of the Gameweek so far.
Bournemouth centre-half Antonio Silva (£5.0m), Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong (£5.0m) and Fulham no. 10 Joshua King (£5.6m) round off the new entires.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m), the third-most-owned FPL forward, remains on three cautions.
CURRENTLY SUSPENDED
Two of Brentford’s central midfielders received their marching orders in Gameweek 7.
The aforementioned Janelt will only serve a one-match ban but Yehor Yarmoliuk (£4.8m) faces three games on the sidelines, as his red card was for violent conduct. One of the fixtures he’ll miss is the EFL Cup fourth round tie against Sunderland, at least.
Ryan Sessegnon (£4.3m) also starts a three-match ban; he was sent off for serious foul play in the win over Hull City. Again, one of those three fixtures will be an EFL Cup game next week.
Sunderland’s Kevin Danso (£5.0m) was sent off for the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity in the loss to Bournemouth. The Austrian sits out Gameweek 8 before returning thereafter.
Finally, Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.4m) serves game two of a three-match ban.
RETURNING FROM A BAN IN GAMEWEEK 8
Ryan Gravenberch (£5.8m) and Axel Disasi (£4.4m) are back from suspension this weekend.
