Harry Kane and Tottenham pair suspension risks ahead of Arsenal and Man City clash
Harry Kane will walk a disciplinary tightrope during the holiday season, as he is one yellow card away from a one-game suspension.
Returning to Premier League play on Boxing Day away at Brentford, Antonio Conte’s Tottenham face Aston Villa and Crystal Palace three days later.
Conte will need all of his players to be available for the forthcoming matches as the Lilywhites attempt to put together a solid run and maintain their position in the top four.
However, he will be without Rodrigo Bentancur on Monday at Brentford.
Although the Uruguayan midfielder is currently sidelined due to an adductor muscle injury in his right leg, he would have missed the Brentford match regardless because he received his fifth yellow card of the season in their last league match against Leeds United, thereby earning a one-match suspension.
As stated in the FA’s ‘Information for Players on Disciplinary Procedures’ guide for the 2022-23 season, any player who accumulates five bookings before the cut-off point of 19 matches will be automatically suspended for one game.
The north London derby versus Arsenal on January 15 will be Tottenham’s 19th Premier League game of the season.
Kane will need to tread carefully in the upcoming matches, since a second yellow card will result in a one-match suspension. If he avoids yellow cards against Brentford and Aston Villa but receives one away at Crystal Palace at the beginning of January, the England captain will be forced to miss the Arsenal matchup since yellow cards do not carry over to the FA Cup.
If the striker avoids yellow cards in Tottenham’s next three league games but is cautioned against Arsenal, he will miss the trip to Manchester City, assuming neither Tottenham nor Manchester City are required to play an FA Cup third-round replay that week and the league match remains on January 19 as scheduled.
Currently, Kane is the only Tottenham player with four bookings, while Yves Bissouma and Ryan Sessegnon both have three. A one-match suspension is a distinct possibility for the trio in the coming weeks, so they will need to tread carefully.
Harry Kane and Tottenham pair suspension risks ahead of Arsenal and Man City clash
