Joe Williams is suspended for Bristol City’s trip to Birmingham City this weekend after the midfielder received his fifth booking of the season against Coventry City on Tuesday night amid confusion over whether he was actually shown a yellow card at Ashton Gate.
Williams, who was a first-half replacement for the injured Kal Naismith, threw himself into a challenge on Ben Sheaf in the 78th minute after referee James Bell had blown his whistle for an infringement just seconds before.
It was late, and a little high, and saw Williams then shoved to the ground by an enraged Sheaf before players from both teams surrounded the official to plead their case.
The City midfielder lay on the turf clutching his face as the protests went on and although Bell was seen writing something in his notebook no yellow card appeared to be brandished at Williams, although Sheaf was cautioned for his part in the incident.
Speaking after the game to BBC Radio Bristol , manager Nigel Pearson said “we’ve got a suspension for the weekend in Joe”, but no reports after the game initially had detailed any report of a booking for Williams, hinting that the midfielder may have escaped a ban.
Indeed, City club officials were unsure on Wednesday morning of the situation but having consulted the FA, it’s subsequently been confirmed that the 25-year-old was carded and will serve an automatic one-match ban.
It’s not ideal for Pearson given injury issues in defence, and the absence of Matty James who remains out as he recovers from minor groin surgery, but it’s effectively a one-for-one situation as Alex Scott was suspended for the 0-0 draw against Coventry after accumulating five yellow cards and will now return for the game at St Andrews.
With Williams having played 74 minutes against QPR and 49 on Tuesday, Pearson may also have been reluctant to start him in the Midlands, due to ongoing concerns around the volume of minutes he can play in a week after 18 months of injury issues at City.
Under FA rules, players who receive five bookings before matchweek 19 - which, for the Robins, is Sheffield United at home on November 1 - receive an automatic one-match ban. Rob Atkinson is the only other City player currently close to serving a suspension, with the City defender on three yellow cards.
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