Several Aston Villa players could be banned for the Europa League semi-final first leg if Unai Emery's side progress
John McGinn and Morgan Rogers
John McGinn and Morgan Rogers(Image: SmartFrame/Pro Sports Images)
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Five Aston Villa players are walking a disciplinary tightrope in the second leg of the club’s Europa League quarter-final against Bologna.
Unai Emery’s side have a two-goal lead in the tie after Ollie Watkins restored Villa’s cushion in the final stages of the first leg in Italy.
Watkins scored twice in the second period, after Ezri Konsa put Villa ahead before the break despite Bologna’s dominance in the first half.
Only one Villa player collected a booking in the first leg, which was Morgan Rogers, and he is one of several players who could miss the first leg of a possible semi-final.
As per Article 63.03 of UEFA's regulations, 'single yellow cards and pending suspensions are always carried forward to the next stage of the competition,' except, ‘yellow cards expire on completion of the play-offs and then on the completion of the quarter-finals’.
Rogers, John McGinn, Matty Cash, Lucas Digne and Victor Lindelof have all collected two bookings in Villa’s Europa League campaign, which means they are all at threat of missing a possible semi-final first leg.
As yellow cards picked up in the competition are wiped out after the quarter-final stage and the slate is effectively wiped clean, players will then not be in danger of missing the final due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
The only way they could be banned for the Europa League final is if they were to receive a red card in the semi-final second leg or if they were dismissed for violent conduct in the first leg.
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