Two Sunderland players close to Premier League suspension as yellow card rule explained
Sunderland go into the October international break after another successful period.
The Black Cats sit ninth in the Premier League, and are currently closer to the top of the table than they are to the relegation zone.
Much of this is down to their new additions, with plenty of Sunderland’s new signings being excellent early on.
As a result, Sunderland are currently predicted to survive, despite their form being expected to dip.
However, the Black Cats could now face multiple suspensions after the international break, which could complicate matters for Regis Le Bris.
Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka close in on Premier League yellow card suspension
Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka have had an outstanding start to their Sunderland careers.
The duo both joined the Black Cats in the summer and have made themselves regulars under Le Bris.
Xhaka in particular has been excellent for Sunderland, with the former Arsenal midfielder rarely putting a foot wrong.
- Both Sadiki and Xhaka signed for Sunderland in the summer
- The duo quickly became regulars in the starting XI
- However, they are both now are risk of suspension
However, Le Bris is now at risk of losing the duo after the October international break.
Both Sadiki and Xhaka picked up yellow cards in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.
With means that both midfielders are now just two bookings each away from a one-match ban, with their totals for this season rising to three.
Therefore, if the duo both pick up yellow cards against Wolves and Chelsea, they will be banned for the Everton match.
When does the Premier League’s yellow card rule reset?
While players do receive a one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards, there is a cut-off.
This rule is only in place until game week 19, meaning that Sadiki and Xhaka both need to make it past the Manchester City tie on 30 December without picking up another two bookings.
If the midfielders can achieve this, they will be allowed to hit five yellow cards without picking up a suspension.
However, this is likely going to be a big task, with Sadiki and Xhaka now set to play 12 matches where they will need to avoid picking up two bookings.
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