The EFL’s yellow card amnesty comes into force at the final whistle

Ben Gibson, Ben Wilmot and Andrew Moran are on orders to be on their best behaviour this afternoon as Stoke City head into the final game before a yellow card amnesty.

The trio are all on four bookings so far in the Championship and will face a one-match ban if their name is taken by referee Craig Pawson against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (12.30pm). Wouter Burger and Jordan Thompson have already served suspensions after clocking up five so far this season.

If they can get through this match, the next cut off is for 10 bookings up until the end of the 37th game of the season, which isn’t until March.

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Narcis Pelach has insisted that the caution count doesn’t come into his thinking when selecting his team, saying: “No, not really. I knew Wilmot but I didn’t even know Gibson or Andy because my staff are on top of it and know I don’t want to know because I want to think about my best line-up for the next game. They come to me and talk about it but I say the most important game is the next one. It doesn’t really affect me.

“There are three points to fight for and I want those three points. If afterwards you tell me that those three players can’t play in another game then we will play other players. That’s why you have a squad. There are players who are not playing who I am convinced will do well when they come in and they just need to wait for their moment. The most important thing is the next one.”

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