Some Crystal Palace players will be walking a tightrope when Fiorentina come to SE25 on Thursday night.
UEFA do not allow players to accumulate three yellow cards before the start of the semi-final stage, or else they dish out a one-match ban.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has already reached that mark and will therefore be absent for the first leg of the quarter-final, and there are three Crystal Palace stars who may miss the second leg if they are booked at Selhurst Park.
Adam Wharton, Maxence Lacroix and Jaydee Canvot are treading thin ice
As UEFA documents show, Oliver Glasner needs Jaydee Canvot, Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix to avoid picking up a yellow card in the first leg of this UEFA Conference League quarter-final clash.
If any of the trio do receive a booking from Donatas Rumsas – who will officiate the match – they will be banned from the second leg in Florence next week.
Even if any of the three manage to achieve that but eventually pick up a yellow in Italy anyway, they would be still suspended for the first leg of the semi-final, should we make it.
However, if they can avoid punishment across both legs and Crystal Palace reach the last four of the competition, UEFA then wipe the slate clean.
Crystal Palace players pose for a photo before a UEFA Conference League clash against AEK Larnaca
Photo by Tiego Grenho/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
It will be tough for Wharton, Lacroix and Canvot to stay out of trouble given how soft referees in Europe have been so far this season in our games.
Aliyar Aghayev – who officiated AEK Larnaca vs Crystal Palace – did a terrible job last time out in Cyprus.
The Azerbaijani constantly stopped the match and did not allow the game to flow, while also dishing out a harsh yellow card to Strand Larsen for simply jumping to win a header – a decision which rules the Norway international out of the first leg against Fiorentina.
Hopefully, the aforementioned Rumsas has more sense.