The three players who could miss Leeds United vs Liverpool due to Premier League suspension rule
Leeds United and Liverpool both have midweek action to look forward to before Saturday’s Premier League meeting.
Leeds United and Liverpool both have players walking the Premier League suspension tightrope ahead of this weekend’s Elland Road meeting.
Daniel Farke’s side welcome the reigning Premier League champions to West Yorkshire on Saturday evening to cap off a tricky four-game run. Defeats against Aston Villa and Manchester City have turned up the heat on Leeds’ under-pressure manager and things don’t get any easier this week.
Before Liverpool on Saturday, the Whites host Chelsea on Wednesday evening. Enzo Maresca's side are third in the Premier League having won five from six ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal, a result they earned despite going down to 10-men in the first half.
Meetings between Leeds and Chelsea have been historically fiery affairs but one Whites star will be cautious not to overstep the mark. Club captain Ethan Ampadu is currently the only member of Farke’s squad on four yellow cards, meaning he is just one booking away from a ban.
FA disciplinary rules state anyone who accumulates five yellow cards before the end of their team’s 19th fixture is handed an automatic one-match suspension. After full-time in that mid-way point, the threshold increases to 10 bookings which is punishable by a two-game ban.
Ampadu picked up his fourth yellow card of the season during last month’s 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa for a second-half foul. The Welshman had previously been booked in meetings with Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton but escaped a crucial fifth caution during Saturday’s defeat at City.
He is therefore able to play against former club Chelsea but anything rash could be punished and see him miss Saturday’s game against Liverpool. That would be a big blow for Leeds at the worst possible time, with fellow midfielders Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach both currently out - albeit the latter could return from a concussion.
Two Liverpool stars risk missing Leeds United through suspension
Ampadu is not the only player walking a suspension tightrope ahead of that meeting, with two Liverpool stars also one booking away from a ban. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and right-back Conor Bradley have each been cautioned four times in the Premier League.
Szoboszlai has arguably been Liverpool’s best player this season but picked up his fourth booking in a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City last month. The midfielder has come through games against Nottingham Forest and West Ham while walking the tightrope but must navigate Wednesday’s meeting with Sunderland without a fifth if he wants to feature at Elland Road.
Bradley has accumulated four yellow cards in just nine appearances and like Szoboszlai, registered booking number four at Manchester City last month. The Northern Ireland international hasn’t played since but any further punishment at home to Sunderland on Wednesday could see him sit out Leeds at the weekend.
Ampadu is the only immediate suspension risk for Leeds but right-back Jayde Bogle is currently on three bookings, with six full games still to play before passing that 19-game milestone. Pascal Struijk, Noah Okafor and Willy Gnonto are all on two cautions each.