Crystal Palace have a tough schedule over the Christmas period, having also just faced Manchester City and Liverpool in the last two games.
A match against heated rivals Brighton comes before a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, and with just one win in eight games, Roy Hodgson is now reportedly coming under pressure to deliver results amidst links to Steve Cooper.
Palace have also been hit by an injury crisis in recent weeks, and the last thing they need is for more players to become unavailable during this busy period.
With two games to go until the halfway point in the season, players on four yellow cards will have to be extra careful, as they are now one yellow away from a one-match suspension. After Palace’s trip to Chelsea, this then resets, so there are just two more games to navigate for three Crystal Palace players.
Crystal Palace players in danger of suspension
Joel Ward, Jordan Ayew and Joachim Andersen have all amassed four yellow cards this season, and should they pick up one against Brighton or Chelsea, they will have to sit the next match out.
Ward is now injured, meaning that by the time he returns, he will no longer be in danger of suspension.
However, Ayew, who missed the Man City draw with a suspension as a result of a controversial red card against Liverpool, and Andersen, who has been ever-present in the Palace side in the league this season, will be in danger during the next two games.
Crystal Palace’s squad availability
Several players have picked up injuries in recent weeks, but Jefferson Lerma looks set to return to the side after missing the Man City game, and Eberechi Eze came off the bench at the Etihad Stadium.
Palace coped fine without Ayew, as Jean-Philippe Mateta delivered a crucial performance, whilst Michael Olise also impressed on the wing.
However, losing Andersen for either the trip to Chelsea or Brentford would be a disaster. The centre-back has been one of the club’s best performers this season, and with Rob Holding also injured, he would be a massive miss at the back.
