A number of players are walking a Euro 2020 suspension tightrope ahead of the quarter-final matches on Friday and Saturday.
Each of the eight nations still in the competition have at least three players in danger of missing the semi-finals, should they qualify, having been booked in the earlier rounds. Switzerland, meanwhile, are without a key player against Spain due to suspension.
Arsenal supporters won’t be surprised to hear that notorious card magnet Granit Xhaka is the man in question and his absence is a huge blow to the Swiss given his outstanding performance against France and impressive form throughout the tournament.
In fairness to Xhaka and the 32 players that could follow him into the Euro 2020 sin bin, Uefa has set a pretty low bar for disciplinary punishments. Any player that accumulates two yellow cards during the competition, will automatically face a one-game suspension.
The full list of players at risk of a one-game suspension
Belgium: Toby Alderweireld, Thorgan Hazard, Thomas Vermaelen
Czech Republic: Vladimir Coufal, Adam Hlozek, Lukas Masopust
Denmark: Mikkel Damsgaard, Thomas Delaney, Mathias Jensen, Daniel Wass
England: Phil Foden, Harry Maguire, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice
Italy: Nicolo Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Mattia Pessina
Spain: Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Rodri, Pau Torres
Switzerland: Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Breel Embolo, Mario Gavranovic, Kevin Mbabu, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar
Ukraine: Artem Dovbyk, Andriy Yarmolenko, Mykola Shaparenko, Serhiy Sydorchuk
The good news for the players that have that worry hanging over their heads is that all yellow cards are wiped following the conclusion of the quarter-finals.
That means that any player cautioned in a semi-final will be able to play in the final if their team qualifies, even if they have been booked in another game earlier on in the competition.
The only way that a player can miss the final through suspension is if they are sent off in the semi-final.
The England players in danger of suspension
There are four England players who are one yellow card away from a suspension, should the team progress beyond last eight opponents Ukraine. They are Phil Foden, Harry Maguire, Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice.
The Three Lions were one of only five teams to receive just one booking during the group stage with Foden shown a yellow card in the opening match against Croatia.
However, their tally jumped up to four during the 2-0 win over Germany on Tuesday, with midfield pair Rice and Phillips both being cautioned in the first half and Maguire following suit in the second.
Although it would be a blow to Gareth Southgate to lose any of the quartet, he will be particularly concerned at losing Maguire given his performances in defence since returning from an ankle injury.
Phillips and Rice have been integral in the middle of the pitch too, starting in all four of England’s matches.
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2SNcsZy
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