The two Leeds United players who could miss Saturday's visit of QPR due to Championship rule
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Leeds United host Queens Park Rangers in their final game before the November international break and face the risk of being without two key players.
Current focus inside the squad will be solely on this evening’s trip to Millwall, with Leeds needing to take all three points from the Den in order to reclaim second place. Daniel Farke’s side fell out of the automatic promotion places overnight after Sheffield United beat Bristol City 2-1 at Ashton Gate.
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Hide AdMillwall are coming off the back of three straight wins and will put up the kind of fight Leeds have come to expect in South East London, with manager Neil Harris warning of the ‘imposing’ atmosphere in the build-up. But while the travelling Whites will need to assert their aggression, two players in particular will be walking the suspension tightrope.
EFL suspension rules state that any player who accumulates five yellow cards before game-week 19 must serve a one-game ban. 10 yellows before match-week 32 will result in a two-match ban while 15 bookings before a team’s 38th match will mean a three-match suspension.
As things stand, Joe Rodon and Wilfried Gnonto are on five Championship bookings and so a fifth at Millwall this evening would see them miss the visit of QPR to Elland Road on Saturday. Rodon has been on four yellow cards for what seems like an age, with the Welsh defender avoiding that decisive fifth through his side’s last four games.
That delay to what looks an inevitable ban has come in handy, given there was no natural cover for the centre-back until Josuha Guilavogui’s arrival as a free agent and subsequent work to get match fit. Rodon has missed just five minutes of league action this season and so will be missed, regardless.
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Hide AdLike his defensive teammate, Gnonto has started every league game so far and picked up his fourth yellow of the season at Bristol City, avoiding a fifth against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday to keep himself available. The 21-year-old has been talismanic for Leeds so far, registering two goals and five assists across the attacking unit.
Largie Ramazani’s ongoing absence means a suspension for Gnonto is far from ideal, but Leeds have adequate cover in the form of Manor Solomon, even if the on-loan Tottenham man is yet to flow like a well-rattled bottle of ketchup. Brenden Aaronson is also more than comfortable playing on the left and in great form.
Bans have been managed so far
Leeds have been able to cope with previous recent suspensions relatively comfortably, with Junior Firpo and Jayden Bogle picking up staggered bans over the past couple of games. Sam Byram proved capable cover for both, starting at left-back against Bristol City before moving to the right against Plymouth.
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Hide AdBeyond that, Pascal Struijk and Ao Tanaka sit on two yellow cards and so are at no immediate risk of a suspension. The pair will need to receive three bookings in the next five fixtures to be forced out of the team.
QPR have no suspension issues to worry about come Saturday, with none of their players going into Tuesday’s meeting with Middlesbrough on four bookings. A 4-1 home thumping was not ideal preparation for Marti Cifuentes’ side, however.