Ryan Gravenberch is at risk of picking up a suspension before the midway point of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign, with the midfielder one booking away.
Gravenberch’s role at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, breaking up play and driving forwards, has naturally seen him pick up more yellow cards than most.
In all competitions this season, Alexis Mac Allister (eight) and Ibrahima Konate (seven) are the only players to have been cautioned more than the Dutchman (five).
Liverpool have found themselves without Mac Allister for two games in a week as he serves one-match suspensions in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.
And Gravenberch is the next at risk in the league, with the 22-year-old now only one yellow card away from a ban.
If he is booked against one of Fulham, Tottenham, Leicester, West Ham or Man United he will miss the next league fixture – any ban would not apply to other competitions such as the Carabao Cup.
Players cannot be suspended for five bookings after the halfway stage of the season, with Liverpool playing their 19th game against Man United on January 5.
After that point it rolls over to 10 bookings in the first 32 games, which would earn a two-match suspension.
Konate is also on four bookings, and though the centre-back is currently sidelined through injury he is expected to return before the mid-season cutoff and therefore will be at risk of suspension if he is back ahead of the visit of Man United.
Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all been cautioned three times, meaning they would miss one game if they are booked in two of the next five.
Liverpool’s other specialist No. 6 beyond Gravenberch is Wataru Endo, though Arne Slot has used both Mac Allister and Curtis Jones in the role this season.
Virgil van Dijk (1,800) and Mohamed Salah (1,793) are the only players to clock more minutes than Gravenberch (1,777) in all competitions.
