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Football London
Football London
Sport
Jonty Colman

West Ham handed major selection boost for Arsenal clash amid Premier League suspension fears

West Ham United manager David Moyes will be boosted by having defender Thilo Kehrer available for their Boxing Day clash with Arsenal.

The German defender, who has started in all 13 of West Ham ’s Premier League matches since his £10.1million summer arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, has been the Hammers’ most booked player in the Premier League this season with four bookings.

After bookings against Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Fulham and Manchester United, Kehrer has been one booking away from a one-match suspension, which all players in the division get if picking up five bookings before the end of the team’s 19 th league game of the season.

READ MORE: David Moyes explains Michail Antonio's West Ham absence and Kurt Zouma decision vs Leicester

After avoiding bookings in both of the recent home defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City, Kehrer will be available for selection against Arsenal on Boxing Day, providing he does not get injured during the World Cup with Germany.

To avoid a ban before the threshold changes, Kehrer needs to go four games without getting booked. Kehrer is at risk of being banned if booked Brentford (December 30), Leeds United (January 4) or Wolverhampton Wanderers (January 14). A fifth booking in the 19th game against Wolves would ban players for the meeting with Everton on January 21.

Here is a full list of West Ham players and how many yellow cards they are on heading into a London derby with the Gunners.

Premier League yellow cards -

Thilo Kehrer – 4

Gianluca Scamacca - 3

Aaron Cresswell, Declan Rice, Craig Dawson and Lucas Paqueta – 2

Emerson, Michail Antonio, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal – 1

Players in the Europa Conference League receive a one-match ban when receiving three yellow cards in the competition.

Centre-back Angelo Ogbonna and central midfielder Flynn Downes have been booked twice so far in the group stage, with ten other players getting booked once.

Europa Conference League yellow cards (not including play-off qualifying round) -

Angelo Ogbonna and Flynn Downes – 2

Manuel Lanzini, Vladimir Coufal, Emerson, Gianluca Scamacca, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Ben Johnson, Maxwel Cornet, Divin Mubama, Nayef Aguerd and Oliver Scarles - 1

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