Ryan Yates, Nottingham Forest’s 27-year-old midfielder, is walking a fine line after picking up a yellow card in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. That booking brought his total to four for the season, leaving him just one caution away from a suspension.
According to Premier League rules, players who accumulate five yellow cards within the first 19 league matches automatically face a one-match ban. Yates is one of 28 players across the division currently on four yellow cards and at risk of this suspension. Should he reach 10 bookings by the 32nd match of the season, the suspension would be extended to two games. It’s worth noting that yellow cards from domestic cup competitions like the EFL Cup or FA Cup are not counted toward this tally. For example, Forest’s Nicolas Dominguez has also been booked four times, but one of those came in the Carabao Cup and doesn’t count toward the Premier League suspension threshold.
Yates has been a regular starter in all 12 of Forest’s league matches so far this season and is expected to feature again in Saturday’s home game against Ipswich Town. On a separate note, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will be allowed to attend the match after serving his five-match stadium ban, which was imposed following an incident involving improper conduct at the City Ground after Forest’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham in September.
