Sunderland managed to steer clear of any new disciplinary setbacks in their victory over Bournemouth, but two influential midfielders are inching dangerously close to suspension. Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki have both collected four yellow cards in the opening 13 Premier League matches, leaving them just one caution away from serving a one-game ban.
League regulations state that any player who accumulates five bookings in the first 19 fixtures must sit out the following Premier League match. The rule applies strictly to league games and does not spill over into domestic cups or European competitions. After a team passes the 19-game mark, the count resets, though additional thresholds later in the season can still trigger longer bans.
While Xhaka and Sadiki pose the most immediate risk, defenders Reinildo Mandava and Trai Hume are not far behind on three bookings each, giving them slightly more room for error but keeping them firmly on the disciplinary radar.
Premier League card rules:
• Five bookings before matchday 19: one-match suspension
• Ten bookings before matchday 32: two-match suspension
• Fifteen bookings across the full season: three-match suspension
For head coach Régis Le Bris, the situation adds another layer to an already challenging selection puzzle, particularly with midfield depth stretched thin. Xhaka and Sadiki have anchored Sunderland’s strong start with their experience, energy and control, and with record signing Habib Diarra still unavailable until December, losing either to suspension would be a major blow.
As the schedule intensifies and margins grow tighter, Sunderland will need to manage their squad carefully. Avoiding bans for Xhaka, Sadiki, Mandava and Hume will be vital through a demanding run of fixtures—especially with supporters dreading the possibility of a suspension landing just before the Derby clash with Newcastle United on December 14.
How the rest of the squad stands
Outside the main quartet, several players have begun to pick up bookings, though none are near the suspension threshold as Sunderland prepare for a tough three-game stretch against Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle.
Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele and Robin Reofs have each been cautioned twice, while Arthur Masuaku, Bertrand Traoré, Simon Adingra, Dan Ballard, Enzo Le Fée and Habib Diarra have all received one yellow card. The spread of cautions across the squad indicates discipline has largely been shared rather than concentrated in a single area, but even so, the Black Cats will hope to keep their record clean as the festive period approaches.