The Portsmouth duo walking on disciplinary tightrope after midfielder's Stoke City suspension - EFL rules explained
Pompey have picked up 26 yellow cards in their opening 12 matches of the campaign this season.
Following successive defeats to Coventry City and Stoke City at Fratton Park last week, Pompey will be looking to bounce back against Birmingham City this Saturday.
John Mousinho’s men make the first trip to St Andrews to face the Blues in the league for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign as they eye a return to winning ways.
The midfielder, who had featured in all of Pompey’s opening 11 matches, had picked up five yellow cards during that period, forcing him to sit out the defeat at PO4.
Although the 30-year-old will be back in action for Mousinho’s men this weekend, there are further members of the squad who will have to be wary over the amount of bookings they’re on so far.
EFL suspension rules
EFL suspension rules state that any player who accumulates five yellow cards before game-week 19 must serve a one-game ban. 10 yellows before match-week 32 will result in a two-match ban while 15 bookings before a team’s 38th contest will see a three-match suspension enforced.
With Swift serving his one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards, Marlon Pack and Andre Dozzell are not far off landing themselves in hot water.
Dozzell, who has started every game for the Blues so far this term, has picked up three bookings during that time.
The midfielder was given a caution in the triumph over Preston North End in August as well as September’s defeat to Ipswich Town and the draw to Leicester City earlier in the month.
Pack, meanwhile, has received the same amount of bookings in far less time following his return from injury.
After undergoing knee surgery at the start of the campaign, the skipper missed Pompey’s opening six games before completing his comeback against the Tractor Boys last month.
But since then, the 34-year-old has picked up yellows in three of his six outings this term, during the contests with Watford, Middlesbrough and most recently in Saturday’s defeat to Stoke City.
Should the duo pick up a further two bookings cards in any of the Blues’ next seven games, then a suspension could be heading their way.
Mousinho does have plenty of options in the engine room, though, with Luke Le Roux and Mark Kosznovszky waiting in the wings.
The summer arrivals have registered just one league start this season, but have been utilised a number of times from the bench.
Meanwhile, Swift who has also featured in a more holding role following his arrival in June, although the ex-West Brom man has been unleashed in the number 10 role in recent weeks.
Pompey’s booking so far this season
Pompey have picked up 26 bookings so far this season, the seventh most in the Championship so far.
With Swift leading the way on five and Pack and Dozzell on three, nine other members of Mousinho’s squad have found themselves in the referee’s book.
Le Roux, Connor Ogilvie, Zak Swanson, Regan Poole and Minhyeok Yang have all been shown yellow cards on two occasions so far.
While Colby Bishop, Thomas Waddingham, Makenzie Kirk and Josef Bursik have been booked just once in the opening 12 matches.
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