Wolves could be without three key players over the Christmas period if they hit five yellow cards in the Premier League before Wolves vs Everton.
Wolves have already had plenty of players pick up a one-game suspension due to picking up too many yellow cards.
Nelson Semedo was the first starter to be banned with the fullback unavailable for the 2-1 win against Bournemouth. Craig Dawson soon followed as he picked up his fifth booking against Spurs. Then, the most recent pair was Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes who both missed the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal.
There are only three more games until the yellow cards are reset. After 19 games, the threshold for a one-game suspension goes up to 10 yellow cards.
This means some players just need to avoid a booking or two in their next three games in order to avoid a suspension. Below are three players who Gary O’Neil will have to keep an eye on over the festive period.
Hwang Hee-Chan
Despite his impeccable goalscoring form, Hwang has picked up a bad habit of getting himself needlessly booked.
The South Korean international has seen four yellow cards so far in the Premier League this season meaning he is just one off a suspension. His last yellow came against Arsenal where he picked up a booking in the 88th minute.
Hwang has become a vital cog in O’Neil’s side this season and has already netted nine times. This has recently seen the 27-year-old rewarded with a new contract for his form.
Therefore any type of suspension would no doubt hurt Wolves’ chances of getting a result in any of their upcoming fixtures.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
With the likelihood that the Algerian will be returning to the pitch over the festive period, Ait-Nouri needs to be careful.
The defender has already accumulated four yellow cards so far this season despite being out injured since the 3-2 defeat to Fulham.
The 22-year-old should be fit for Sunday’s tie away to Fulman. This means that he may have to avoid three games without getting booked.
The Algerian received his last yellow card in the dramatic 2-1 win against Spurs in the 99th minute.
Ait-Nouri has easily been one of Wolves’ best players so far this season and has been dearly missed since his injury.
Therefore, the last thing Wolves want is for him to be unavailable again due to him picking up a silly yellow card.
Max Kilman
The Wolves captain has been a mainstay in the starting XI so far this season and is the only player not to miss a minute.
Despite some issues with the defence over the past few games, Kilman has still been highly important to Wolves’ success. This was shown in their 1-0 victory over Burnley as he led the hosts to a clean sheet.
Unlike the prior two players on this list, Kilman has only got three bookings this season. His last one came against Burnley as he was booked in the 80th minute.
The captain will now just have to avoid picking up two bookings in the next three games in order to avoid a suspension.