Sunderland has received a positive development ahead of their upcoming game against Swansea City in the Championship. Sunderland defender Dan Ballard will be eligible to play in the match at the Liberty Stadium.
Initially, there were reports that Ballard, a former Arsenal player, had received a yellow card during the previous weekend’s victory over Norwich City at the Stadium of Light, which would have been his fifth of the season. However, it has now been confirmed that it was his teammate, Pierre Ekwah, who received the booking in the first half of the game following Norwich City’s opening goal.
Despite this reprieve, Ballard is still one yellow card away from facing a one-match suspension. Additionally, three other Sunderland players are getting closer to reaching the disciplinary threshold, as reported last week.
Ballard had received his fourth yellow card of the season during a 4-0 defeat against Middlesbrough earlier in the month. He managed to avoid further bookings in subsequent games against Stoke, Leicester, and Norwich. However, according to EFL rules, a player will receive a one-game suspension if they accumulate five yellow cards before the 19th game of the season. For Sunderland, this critical point will be reached when they travel to face Millwall on Saturday, December 2.
Before that fixture, Sunderland will compete against Swansea, Birmingham, Plymouth, and Huddersfield. Furthermore, players who accumulate ten yellow cards by the 37th league game of the campaign will be subject to a two-game suspension.
In related news, Dennis Cirkin received a yellow card during the recent match against Leicester, bringing his total to three yellow cards for the season, along with Abdoullah Ba. Sunderland’s captain, Luke O’Nien, also received his fourth booking of the season in the game against Norwich City, leaving both of Sunderland’s first-choice defenders just one caution away from facing a one-match suspension.