Four England players at risk of semi-final suspension
We’re not counting any chickens before they’ve hatched, but in the event that England get past Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals, there are a few players who will be hoping to get through the game without getting booked.
Yellow cards at this World Cup were wiped out after the group stage, and are so again after the quarter-finals.
That means that nobody at this World Cup is capable of pulling a Paul Gascoigne and getting a yellow in the semi-finals that would suspend them for the final.
Five England players walking yellow card tightrope against Norway
However, it is still possible for players to get suspended for the semi-finals if they pick up their second yellow card of the knockout stage in their side’s quarter-final game.
That means there are five England players still at risk of getting themselves a suspension if they get booked against Norway on Saturday.
Jude Bellingham was booked for a foul on Nathaniel Mbuku in England’s win over DR Congo in the round of 32 and was a tad fortunate to avoid similar censure against Mexico last time out.
Four other England players did go in the book at Estadio Azteca, however, adding them to the list here.
Declan Rice was shown a yellow card for a high boot in the very first minute of that game.
Marc Guehi followed him into the book in the aftermath of Mexico being awarded their penalty on a VAR review.
Nico O’Reilly picked up a card of his own for elbowing Jorge Sanchez in the lip, and was pretty lucky that it didn’t result in a red card.
That leaves Jordan Henderson as the only other England player at risk of a yellow card suspension.
The Brentford midfielder was shown a yellow card in the 98th minute of the Mexico game despite being an unused substitute on the night.
Henderson subsequently injured himself when he fell over the ad boards in the post-match celebrations, but has been included among the substitutes to face Norway after having surgery to repair a fractured wrist.
