Sheffield Wednesday get triple boost as Henrik Pedersen avoids nightmare suspension scenario
Key three members of Sheffield Wednesday’s squad have avoided encountering one-match suspensions.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen will be able to relax a little bit easier ahead of next weekend’s trip to Blackburn Rovers after Liam Palmer, Sean Fusire and Barry Bannan avoided yellow cards in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Preston North End.
The trio went into the clash with North End at Hillsborough on three yellow cards apiece, meaning a fourth booking of the season against the Lancashire outfit would have left them one booking away from a suspension.
English Football League rules state that any player who accumulates five yellow cards in their team’s opening 19 league games of the season will be forced to serve a one-match suspension. The Owls’ upcoming trip to Blackburn will mark their 19th league game of the campaign.
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Having earned three yellow cards apiece prior to the visit of Paul Heckingbottom’s team, Palmer, Fusire and Bannan, each of whom started the slender defeat to the play-off hopefuls, would have been left teetering on the edge of suspensions against Blackburn had they been booked against Preston.
However, having successfully navigated their way through the defeat to North End without having their names taken by referee Oliver Langford, it means they are no longer at risk of racking up five yellow cards before the 19-game cut-off point passes.
Wednesday need to avoid any further absences
With Owls boss Pedersen already having to work with a threadbare squad, the last thing he needs is avoidable absences. Dominic Iorfa missed the defeat to Preston through suspension after earning his fifth booking of the season against Millwall three days earlier, while fellow defender Max Lowe missed out with a hamstring issue.
It meant Pedersen was forced to reshuffle his defence, calling Gabriel Otegbayo and Palmer back into the starting XI, while Yan Valery dropped into the back-three after a lengthy stint in midfield.
Although no members of Wednesday’s squad remain in danger of encountering a one-match suspension for earning five yellow cards, they will still have to be mindful of the fact amassing ten yellow cards in their opening 37 league games of the season will result in a two-match ban.
Iorfa, of course, is the only player who is currently halfway to reaching that particular tally.