Leeds United: Trio breathes easy after avoiding yellow-card suspensions

Samuel Saiz, Pablo Hernandez and Luke Ayling were all left on four bookings after Leeds’ 2-0 win over Barnsley on Saturday, one away from the Football Association’s first threshold, but the governing body has confirmed that the punishment for five cautions ended after 19 games of the Championship season.

United’s trip to Oakwell was their 19th league fixture and yellow cards shown to Ayling and Hernandez against Barnsley will not place them at risk of a mandatory ban.

Saiz, who scored the opening goal on Saturday, received his fourth booking of the campaign at Brentford earlier this month but avoided a one-game suspension by coming through United’s clashes with Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Barnsley unscathed.

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips is the only Leeds player to breach the barrier of five bookings, resulting in a ban during Leeds’ defeat to Derby County earlier this month.

A red card shown to Ronaldo Vieira away at Wolves last week, meanwhile, saw the 19-year-old miss the Barnsley clash but he is back in contention for tomorrow’s encounter with Aston Villa and head coach Thomas Christiansen is waiting to learn if Stuart Dallas and Pierre-Michel Lasogga will be passed fit for the clash.

The pair were sidelined by injury over the weekend but Christiansen, whose players will train at Elland Road today in preparation for a televised game against Villa, was hopeful of seeing both return to contention to face Steve Bruce’s side.