It is another weekend without football for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur team as domestic action resumes after the first international break of 2025. Premier League football remains on hold for now as the quarter-finals of the FA Cup will instead take place this weekend.
Tottenham unfortunately won't be back on the field as a result of their FA Cup exit at the hands of Aston Villa in February. All connected with Spurs will have to wait until Thursday evening for the team's first game in almost three weeks when they make the trip across the capital to Chelsea.
The end of the 2024/25 Premier League season is closing in and the match at Stamford Bridge is Tottenham's 30th of the league term. As we are now at the business end of the season, a very important date in the calendar is coming up and it is one that impacts all 20 clubs.
The FA's rules stipulate that any player who receives a total of ten yellow cards in their side's first 32 Premier League matches will receive a two-match suspension. Crystal Palace's Will Hughes and Saka Lukic of Fulham have already reached that total and there are a number of players who are running the risk of a two-game ban.
Tottenham ace Rodrigo Bentancur is one of the players in question as he can still collect a total of ten yellow cards before the full-time whistle in Tottenham's 32nd league game of the term. For that to be the case, Bentancur, who is on seven yellow cards at present, would have to be cautioned in each of the upcoming games against Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves.
If the Uruguayan does go on to collect three yellow cards against the aforementioned teams then he would be suspended for the home clash against Nottingham Forest on Monday, April 21 and the away game at Liverpool six days later. Bentancur will be hoping that is not the case as he has already served a seven-match domestic ban this season and one-match suspensions in both the Premier League and Europa League for collecting five and three yellow cards respectively.
The midfielder will avoid a potential two-match ban if he goes without seeing yellow at Stamford Bridge next Thursday. Yves Bissouma and James Maddison were previously also running the risk of picking up a one-match ban for ten yellow cards as they were on six cautions apiece.
However, the fact they went without a booking in the defeat at Fulham prior to the international break means they cannot obtains ten yellow before the end of the team's 32nd league game of the campaign.
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