Premier League players risk suspension through yellow card accumulation and red card dismissals, but which individuals are closest to bans in 2026/27?

The first punishment for yellow card accumulation is a one-match ban, to be enforced within or immediately after the first 19 Premier League matches of the 2026/27 term.

To receive such a suspension, the player in question must earn five bookings in the Premier League’s first half, with a second punishment introduced before Gameweek 33.

Explained: Suspensions in the 2026/27 Premier League

According to The FA’s Disciplinary Rules, a player who receives five bookings in the Premier League’s first 19 gameweeks will receive a one-match ban, and a two-game suspension is possible come Gameweek 32.

To receive that ban, a player must accumulate ten yellow cards up to and including their club’s 32nd Premier League match of the 2026/27 term.

Therefore, five bookings in their club’s first 19 matches equals a one-match ban, and ten yellow cards in the Premier League’s first 32 gameweeks equals a two-match suspension.

Finally, if a player accumulates 15 bookings across all 38 matches of the 2026/27 Premier League season, they will receive a three-game ban.

Should someone rack up 20 or more yellow cards in an entire English top-flight campaign, their punishment would be decided by a Regulatory Commission.

These punishments extend solely to the Premier League, and are not carried across into the Carabao or FA Cups. Therefore, each offending player will miss English top-flight matches, not cup fixtures.

For red card dismissals, different actions lead to different bans. If a player denies the opposing team a goal or obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence, they will receive a one-match ban, as they would by receiving two yellow cards in the same game.

Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick is also punished by a one-game suspension.

Serious foul play prompts a three-match ban, and spitting at an opponent or any other person will see the offending player miss six games.

Violent conduct leads to a three-game suspension, and using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures will see the player miss two matches.

Unlike yellow card accumulation bans, the suspension period for red cards covers the Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Therefore, if a player sees red in the Premier League, and their club’s next match is in the FA Cup, they will miss the game as part of their suspension period.

Which Premier League players are suspended or close to bans?

Five Premier League players will be absent from matches this weekend, having seen red in previous top-flight outings.

Brentford's Vitaly Janelt and Sunderland's Kevin Danso will both be missing in their respective Gameweek 8 fixtures, while Brentford's Yehor Yarmoliuk and Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon will miss both this week and next.

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur was absent in Gameweek 7 for the North London club, and will also miss Spurs' next two matches.

Each club has now played seven matches in the English top-flight this term, and four players are in serious danger of receiving one-match Premier League suspensions.

All four have racked up four yellow cards in the top-flight; another booking in any of their next 12 Premier League games will lead to one-game bans.

Those players are Matt Crooks and Oli McBurnie at Hull City, Vitaly Janelt at Bournemouth, and Igor Thiago at Brentford.

Breakdown: Yellow and red cards for each Premier League club in 2026/27

1) Hull City: 21 yellow cards

-- Bournemouth: 21 yellow cards

3) Newcastle United: 19 yellow cards

4) Brentford: 18 yellow cards, 2 red cards

5) Liverpool: 17 yellow cards, 1 red card

6) Nottingham Forest: 16 yellow cards

7) Brighton: 15 yellow cards, 1 red card

8) Fulham: 14 yellow cards, 1 red card

-- Aston Villa: 14 yellow cards, 1 red card

10) Chelsea: 13 yellow cards

-- Leeds: 13 yellow cards

12) Sunderland: 12 yellow cards, 2 red cards

-- Ipswich: 12 yellow cards, 1 red card

-- Everton: 12 yellow cards

-- Manchester United: 12 yellow cards

16) Crystal Palace: 9 yellow cards, 1 red card

-- Manchester City: 9 yellow cards, 1 red card

-- Tottenham Hotspur: 9 yellow cards, 1 red card

-- Arsenal: 9 yellow cards

20) Coventry City: 8 yellow cards, 1 red card