We’ve got our first two booking-related suspensions to report on in this week’s Suspension Tightrope.
And there are four other Premier League players on the precipice of a one-match ban heading into Gameweek 8.
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.
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.
WHO IS SUSPENDED IN GAMEWEEK 8?
The Chelsea duo of Marc Cucurella (£5.0m) and Wesley Fofana (£4.5m) were the first players to reach five bookings for the season.
Both defenders were cautioned in Chelsea’s draw with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Ever-present starters in the Blues’ backline, they’ll now miss the Gameweek 8 clash with Liverpool – so Tosin Adarabioyo (£4.4m) and perhaps Renato Veiga (£4.5m) will be required to keep Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) and co quiet at Anfield.
James Ward-Prowse (£6.2m) picked up a suspension in the clash at Stamford Bridge, too. His one-match ban is the result of a dismissal for two bookable offences.
Jack Stephens (£4.0m) will also miss out in Gameweek 8. This is the second match of a two-game ban that he was handed for using abusive language to the match officials.
ON FOUR YELLOW CARDS
Kobbie Mainoo (£5.2m) joined Joelinton (£6.0m), Sam Morsy (£4.9m) and Sasa Lukic (£4.9m) on four bookings in Gameweek 8.
The 3.3%-owned Manchester United international was cautioned in the goalless draw with Aston Villa.
ON THREE YELLOW CARDS
There are 21 other players on three bookings.
Sitting in almost one in two FPL squads, Cole Palmer (£10.8m) is by some distance the most notable name on the list. The England international’s three cautions have all been for offences other than fouls, ie dissent.
Dan Burn (£4.4m), who is in 10.2% of FPL squads, is the next most popular pick in the above table.
Ederson (£5.5m) has received a yellow card in each of the last three Gameweeks. The Brazilian was penalised for dissent, a foul and time-wasting respectively.
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, as we’ll be updating that after every Gameweek to keep you informed on the latest disciplinary developments.
