With only six games remaining in the Championship season, Leeds hopes to maintain their top-two position come May.
Ipswich Town could be without captain Sam Morsy for up to three Championship games, as the midfielder approaches 15 yellow cards.
Morsy received his 13th card of the season during Ipswich’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton on Saturday, following a late challenge on Flynn Downes after only 16 minutes. The midfielder continued to snap into challenges but avoided more punishment as his team won late thanks to Jeremy Sarmiento.
That victory sent Kieran McKenna’s side to the top of the league with only six games remaining, while Leeds United’s 3-1 home win over Hull City later that evening reduced the distance to one point, with Leicester City in third. Every game is important at this point in the season, but Ipswich could be without their skipper for a significant amount of the remaining games.
EFL rules specify that any player who receives 15 yellow cards in a season will be suspended for three games. It is worth noting that there is no deadline for this tally, unlike bans for receiving five or ten yellow cards, both of which Morsy has served.
On Saturday, Ipswich face fierce rivals Norwich City before hosting Watford in midweek at Portman Road. If Morsy receives a yellow card in each of three games, he will miss games against Middlesbrough, Hull City, and Coventry City, causing McKenna significant problems.
The Egyptian international has only missed four Championship matches this season, all of which were due to suspension. These games have been against Huddersfield Town, QPR, Leicester City, and Sunderland, with Ipswich only winning the latter and earning five points out of a potential 12.
The Tractor Boys visit Huddersfield on the season’s last day, and Morsy will miss that game if he collects his 15th yellow card against Middlesbrough or later. Suspensions also apply to the play-offs, albeit Leeds’ involvement in the knockout finals would almost certainly have resulted in automatic promotion.
Morsy is the only Ipswich player with a realistic prospect of reaching 15 yellow cards and thus missing vital fixtures; Massimo Luongo would need to be booked in every remaining game to be suspended for the play-offs. Jannik Vestergaard of Leicester City presently has 11 yellow cards, while no one at Leeds United has more than eight.
