There are two Arsenal players at risk of suspension through picking up a yellow card during Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg tie against Sporting CP
Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard are just one yellow card away from serving a ban going into Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg vs Sporting CP tonight.
The Gunners face Sporting at the Jose Alvalade Stadium looking to take an advantage home to north London and put one foot in the semi final of Europe’s elite club competition.
But Zubimendi and Norgaard are the two Arsenal players running a suspension tightrope with both one booking from getting banned for the second leg on Wednesday, April 15.
Norgaard was shown a yellow card in the league phase against Slavia Prague and Club Brugge.
Meanwhile, Zubimendi has already had a ban in the Champions League this season after receiving yellow cards against Athletic Club, Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid – Arsenal’s first three matches of the league phase. The Spaniard ended up missing the 3-0 win against Slavia Prague in November.
Zubimendi was then cautioned in the first leg of the last 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen last month and is now one booking away from getting in the referees’ notebook FIVE times in Europe this term.
According to UEFA rules, ‘players and team officials are suspended for the next competition match after three cautions, which did not result in a red card, as well as following any subsequent odd-numbered caution’.
As yellow cards do not reset until after the quarter-final stage, Zubimendi and Norgaard will have to watch their step in both games against Sporting to avoid a suspension, potentially in a semi-final.
Declan Rice missed the final league phase fixture against Kairat through suspension and he will be in the same position as Zubimendi (one more from five yellow cards) if he is booked against Sporting.
Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Ben White are all on one yellow card heading into the quarter-final first leg.
Meanwhile, Sporting forward Luis Suarez is among the others running a suspension tightrope with the ex-Almeira forward getting booked twice in the Champions League so far this season.
There are nine players in the other Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday running the risk of a one-game ban, as Real Madrid prepare to host Bayern Munich.
Jude Bellingham, Alvaro Carreras, Dean Huijsen, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Aurelien Tchouameni, Vinicius Junior, Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano are one away from a suspension.
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Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals where they face Sporting CP on April 7. Fans can watch the game for free with an Amazon Prime subscription or 30-day trial.
