Bassey out of Liverpool game after fifth yellow card of season

Calvin Bassey will miss Fulham’s trip to Liverpool on Saturday after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season which means the Nigerian will be suspended for his club’s following Premier League game.

Bassey and Ndidi were in danger of getting suspended after collecting four yellow cards each before Sunday’s games at Craven Cottage and the King Power stadium, but it was the Fulham defender that will now miss his first Premier League game of the season while Ndidi did not get a yellow for all of the 52 minutes he was on the pitch.

This means Bassey can no longer hope to start and play all 38 games of the season like his compatriot, Alex Iwobi did in the 2022/23 season with Everton when he became the second Nigerian in Premier League history after Joseph Yobo (2006/2007) to start every game of a Premier League season.

Only three Nigerian players are still in contention with Iwobi leading the duo of Ndidi and Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest.