Newcastle United at risk of third player suspension after controversial Arsenal incident

Sean Longstaff is walking a disciplinary tightrope as he remains a fitness doubt for Newcastle United ahead of the return to Premier League action.

Longstaff suffered an ankle injury in the 2-0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth before the international break. Despite being able to complete the match, he is a doubt for Saturday's match against Chelsea at St James' Park.

But if he does get on the pitch, the midfielder is at risk of suspension having picked up four bookings already this season.

The Magpies currently have a lengthy injury list in addition to Sandro Tonali's 10-month betting ban. But a few players are expected to return to the side against Chelsea this weekend - most notably, Bruno Guimaraes.

Guimaraes was banned for the Bournemouth match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season against Arsenal earlier this month.

In the same game, Longstaff was shown his fourth league booking for dissent after being on the receiving end of a dangerous challenge from Kai Havertz.

Now Longstaff must avoid picking up another league booking until the trip to Liverpool on January 1, 2024 in order to escape suspension.

Any player booked five times in the opening 19 matches of a club's season in the Premier League is handed a one-match suspension.

Newcastle have already had Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon suspended this season for accumulating five yellow cards in the Premier League.

Elsewhere in Newcastle’s squad, Kieran Trippier has picked up three Premier League bookings while Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles and Sandro Tonali have picked up two each. Miguel Almiron, Joelinton, Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Tino Livramento, Matt Targett and Callum Wilson have one booking each.

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has previously highlighted the rule changes in the Premier League this season that have resulted in referees handing out more yellow cards.

“The rules now mean there will be more yellow cards so the referees [have] definitely tightened up over the summer in terms of discipline, time-wasting and loads of little things to the game where you can and some of our players have picked up a yellow card for nothing, or perceived nothing,” Howe said.

“More yellow cards means more suspensions so we have to be careful. But certainly, I don’t want to be taking aggression out of anyone’s game, it’s the indiscipline ones that we want to try and eradicate.”

Players who pick up 10 yellow cards inside the opening 32 Premier League matches serve a two-match suspension and any player who picks up 15 bookings over the course of a season is handed a three-match ban which can carry over into the next season if required.