Wolves handed double boost because of Premier League rule ahead of Brighton clash

Wolverhampton Wanderers have one less thing to worry about ahead of Monday's trip to Brighton & Hove Albion as a Premier League rule has now come into effect after passing the halfway stage of the 2023/24 season.

Players who were previously walking the suspension tightrope can now breathe a sigh of relief as the yellow card threshold has been increased. Premier League rules state that any player who is booked five times in their team's opening 19 fixtures must serve a one-match ban.

Defensive duo Max Kilman and Nelson Semedo are both on four yellows but as Wolves are now 20 games in, they won't be punished. Hwang Hee-chan is also on four but he's currently with South Korea at the Asia Cup. Reaching 10 bookings in 32 matches will result in a two-match suspension, but that's a long way off.

Craig Dawson and Joao Gomes weren't so lucky as they reached the five-yellow mark before the halfway point and had to serve their suspensions against Brentford and Arsenal respectively. Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto, meanwhile, are on three bookings.

Brighton are also relieved by reaching the 20-game mark as Lewis Dunk, Billy Gilmour and Facundo Buonanotte are all on four yellow cards as it stands. Monday's game at the American Express Stadium kicks off at 8pm and will be aired live on TNT Sports.