Peterborough United defenders must tread carefully for a month

Centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez and full-backs Jack Sparkes and James Dornelly sit on four bookings each after 15 League One games. The five-yellow card amnesty doesn’t kick in until after the 19th match. If any players receive five bookings before this time, they will pick up a one-game suspension.

Posh’s 19th league game is at home to Crawley on December 14 so the three defenders need to avoid cautions in that game and against Reading at home (November 23), Burton at home (December 4) and Northampton away (December 9) to also avoid a suspension.

Teenager Harley Mills is the only fit back-up to Sparkes currently. Sam Curtis served a suspension in Saturday’s 6-1 demolition of Cambridge after picking up five bookings and Archie Collins missed the home draw against Rotherham last month for the same reason.

Posh are fifth in the League One disciplinary standings with 35 yellow cards and one red.