Posted a while back about the yellow card conundrum and it being likely he misses 2 games whilst we're playing at least one of the top 4 or united, then questioned whether the club might want to have him pick up a few deliberate yellows and take the suspension on the chin before those games.
well tonight was really one of the games he would have to have picked up a yellow if they were planning on doing the tactical suspension route. We're at last chance saloon now, if he picks up a booking in all of the next 3 games, He will miss brentford at home and bournemouth away before being available for the derby, which if he's going to miss any games, and that seems almost certain at this point, you'd take those.
However if he picks up his third yellow card in our next 4 games he misses united, Next 5 he misses united and liverpool ( this is the nightmare scenario and i suspect if that was on the line he wouldnt play in both thr game before the derby and probably the derby) game 6, he misses liverpool. Game 7 he misses arsenal, game 8 he misses arsenal and villa (another nightmare scenario) game 9, Villa.
If he makes it 10 more lesgue games before hitting 3 more yellows, there's a more acceptable 2 game run of palace and Luton that he could miss, then the rest of the games up to the deadline of the 32nd game he would miss spurs.
So other than not getting 3 yellows in 12 games, Hes currently got 7 in 20 so the odds are against that, there's 2 opportunities for him to not miss a game against united, liverpool, arsenal, villa or spurs.
If he picks himself up a really needless yellow towards the end of the brentford game we will know if the club are risking this or not.
Personally, I'd have him take it, we simply can't go to anfield without Rodri.
