38 Premier League players will miss Boxing Day fixtures if they pick up a yellow card this weekend

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 03: Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United is shown a yellow card from referee Robert Jones after a foul on Cole Palmer of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC at Old Trafford on November 03, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Suspension looms for 38 Premier League players (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Premier League festive fixtures are coming thick and fast and there’s a long list of players at risk of watching their teams’ Boxing Day games from the stands after an indulgent Christmas Day.

Premier League players who get five yellow cards in the first 19 games serve a one-match suspension. With a full programme of fixtures scheduled across Saturday and Sunday, no fewer than 38 players are on four bookings.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait-Nouri is also on four bookings but will be eligible for their Boxing Day game against Manchester United after serving a suspension this weekend.

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Darwin Nunez of Liverpool celebrating after scoring the third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on September 21, 2024 in Liverpool, England.

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is one booking away from a ban (Image credit: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Yellow cards this weekend could have a big impact on subsequent festive fixtures at the top of the Premier League, where leaders Liverpool will have three players walking a disciplinary tightrope if they feature against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Darwin Nunez are all on four yellow cards. Konate has sat out the whole of December with a knee injury but Gravenberch has only missed 23 minutes of Premier League football this season.

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy

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Chelsea need to avoid bookings at both ends of the pitch when they play Everton on Saturday. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and striker Nicolas Jackson are each a yellow card away from a one-match ban.

Arsenal visit Crystal Palace on Saturday with the threat of suspension hanging over Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick against the Eagles in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Other players on the brink of a ban include Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City.

Fourth-placed Nottingham Forest would be without Nicolas Dominguez, Neco Williams and Ryan Yates against Spurs on Boxing Day should they collect a fifth yellow card at Brentford on Saturday.

West Ham United are top of the Christmas naughty list with five players – Edson Alvarez, Lucas Paqueta, Guido Rodriguez, Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek – on four yellow cards. The Hammers play Brighton at home on Saturday and Southampton away on Boxing Day.

There are four Leicester City players in the same position before Ruud van Nistelrooy and the Foxes prepare to face Wolves and Liverpool in their next two games. Jordan Ayew, Wilfred Ndidi, Oliver Skipp and Jamie Vardy have four bookings apiece to their names.

Here’s the full list of players at risk of a Boxing Day suspension.

Keep your eyes peeled for a cheap yellow for one of these this weekend.

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PlayerClub
Gabriel JesusArsenal
Morgan RogersAston Villa
Justin KluivertBournemouth
Lewis CookBournemouth
Marcos SenesiBournemouth
Jan Paul van HeckeBrighton
Lewis DunkBrighton
Nicolas JacksonChelsea
Robert SánchezChelsea
Jefferson LermaCrystal Palace
Ashley YoungEverton
Michael KeaneEverton
Sam MorsyIpswich Town
Jamie VardyLeicester City
Jordan AyewLeicester City
Oliver SkippLeicester City
Wilfred NdidiLeicester City
Darwin NunezLiverpool
Ibrahima KonateLiverpool
Ryan GravenberchLiverpool
Bernardo SilvaManchester City
Harry MaguireManchester United
Fabian ScharNewcastle United
Sandro TonaliNewcastle United
Neco WilliamsNottingham Forest
Nicolas DomínguezNottingham Forest
Ryan YatesNottingham Forest
Adam ArmstrongSouthampton
Adam LallanaSouthampton
Mateus FernandesSouthampton
Micky van de VenTottenham Hotspur
Carlos SolerWest Ham United
Edson AlvarezWest Ham United
Guido RodriguezWest Ham United
Lucas PaquetaWest Ham United
Tomas SoucekWest Ham United
Mario LeminaWolverhampton Wanderers
Rayan Ait-NouriWolverhampton Wanderers
Toti GomesWolverhampton Wanderers
Chris Nee

Chris is a freelance writer and the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter. He's based in Warwickshire and is the Head of Media for Coventry Sphinx.