Manchester United player faces two-match suspension threat ahead of Liverpool clash.
Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, must proceed cautiously in the coming weeks to avoid a suspension in the Premier League. Having recently scored for Portugal during international duty, Fernandes is close to a two-match ban, as he has accumulated eight yellow cards this season.
In the Premier League, any player who receives 10 yellow cards within their club’s first 32 matches faces an automatic two-game suspension. Fernandes has already served one suspension earlier in the season after accumulating five yellow cards, causing him to miss the match against Liverpool on December 17. With matches against Brentford and Chelsea before Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford on April 7, Fernandes risks missing the clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side if he picks up two more yellow cards.
Consequently, the captain must maintain exemplary conduct as Manchester United prepares for consecutive matches in west London in the upcoming week. The team will first face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, followed by a showdown against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next Thursday.
Should Fernandes receive a yellow card in both of these encounters, he will be sidelined for United’s match against Liverpool and the visit to Bournemouth on Saturday, April 13. The game against Bournemouth, unless he has already accumulated his 10th yellow card of the season before then, will be the last where he needs to exercise caution to avoid a potential suspension.
Fernandes, who temporarily filled in as a center-back during Manchester United’s thrilling FA Cup victory over Liverpool before the international break, has received just one yellow card in the team’s last nine Premier League matches, with his most recent caution coming late in the game against Fulham earlier this month. He currently holds the record for the most yellow cards among United players in the league this season.
Fernandes is among several players in the league who are close to facing a potential suspension. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are both one yellow card away from being handed a ban, each currently sitting on nine yellow cards. Chelsea still have five matches to play before completing their first 32 games of the season, which is the cutoff point for accumulated yellow cards.
Chelsea are set to face United next week, raising the stakes for Jackson. If he receives a yellow card against Burnley on Saturday, he will be ineligible for the upcoming match against Erik ten Hag’s side. Jackson had been booked five times within the first six games of the season, resulting in a one-match ban that he served at the start of October.
Manchester United player faces two-match suspension threat ahead of Liverpool clash.