Club captain Bernardo Silva could be on the more experienced names on the teamsheet as Pep Guardiola's chases a fifth Carabao Cup triumph.placeholder image
Club captain Bernardo Silva could be on the more experienced names on the teamsheet as Pep Guardiola's chases a fifth Carabao Cup triumph. | Getty Images
Man City star Bernardo Silva risks being suspended if he picks up a yellow card on Tuesday night.
Man City go into their next game against Fulham on Tuesday night hoping to close the gap to Arsenal to just two points, with the Gunners playing against Brentford on Wednesday.
City come off a 3-2 win against Leeds at the weekend, and will be hoping for more of a convincing victory against Fulham, even though they have to play at a tough Craven Cottage. After Fulham, they play against Sunderland, and could have a boost ahead of the clash with the Black Cats.
Sunderland duo could be banned for City game
As Man City play on Tuesday, Sunderland feature against Liverpool on Wednesday night, and two of their players are just one yellow card away from getting a one-match ban, which would come against City if they pick up yellows during the week.
Firstly, midfielder Granit Xhaka is on four yellow cards, and if he were to pick one up against the Reds on Tuesday night, he wouldn’t be available for the Man City game under Premier League rules. That would be a massive boost for City as the former Arsenal star has arguably been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Sunderland without Xhaka would be without their main spine of the team, so City will be hoping he’ll get booked against Liverpool.
Furthermore, defensive midfielder Noah Sadiki is also dealing with a similar situation, as the 20-year-old has four yellow cards, and he is at risk of suspension should he get booked against Liverpool. If both players were to be booked, that would eliminate Regis Le Bris’ first-choice midfield pair, handing Man City a huge chance to take control of the game at the weekend.
Bernardo Silva is at risk too
Sunderland do have concerns about suspensions yes, but so do Man City, as midfielder Bernardo Silva is just one booking away from getting a one match ban. He was booked during City’s win against Leeds at the weekend, and so if he were to see yellow against Fulham on Tuesday, Silva would be unavailable for the game against Sunderland.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is also on four yellow cards after he picked up another booking against Leeds. It is more unlikely for Donnarumma to pick up a fifth yellow, simply because he’s a goalkeeper. But, should he get booked against Fulham, Pep Guardiola would be forced to play James Trafford against Sunderland.
In terms of other City players at risk, Nico Gonzalez is on three yellow cards at the moment, and Phil Foden is also on three. They risk getting banned for games against Crystal Palace, West Ham and Nottingham Forest if they accumulate bookings in the coming games.
Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly, and Tijani Reijnders are all on two yellow cards, so they could be at risk too if their discipline lets them down in the upcoming fixtures.
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