England have an advantage with no players walking the suspension tight rope ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash with France.
FIFA's rules state that players will receive a one-match ban if they accumulate two yellow cards across the group stage, as well as the last 16 and quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, while the usual rule applies if they are shown a straight red card.
And ahead of this week's quarter-finals, Mirror Football takes a look at where England stand with regards to potential suspensions ahead of the semi-finals, including which 19 players are at risk of missing out against the Three Lions if they make it to the final four.
What are the World Cup suspension rules?
Players will receive a one-match ban if they pick up two separate yellow cards across the group stage, last 16 and the quarter-finals.
For example, if a player was booked during the group stage and is then booked once more in the quarter-finals, they will miss out on the semi-finals, having accumulated two yellow cards.
As with any other competition, however, two yellow cards in the same game results in a sending off and a one match ban, as does a straight red card.
What do you make of the yellow card rules at the 2022 World Cup? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
When are yellow cards reset?
FIFA announced prior to the beginning of the 2022 World Cup that yellow card records would be wiped clean after the quarter-finals and ahead of the semi-finals.
That means that players who have already picked up a booking prior to the semi-finals will have their record reset, in order to ensure that they are not at risk of missing out on the final should they make it that far.
However, if a player picks up their second booking of the tournament in the quarter-finals, they will still miss the semi-finals. The record is only wiped for those who have one booking prior to the semi-finals.
What does this mean for England?
In what is a highly impressive record for Gareth Southgate's side, not a single one of the Three Lions has been booked across their four matches at the World Cup so far.
This means that nobody is at risk of missing the semi-finals, should they beat France, unless they receive a straight red card in their quarter-final clash with Les Bleus.
In another boost for the Three Lions, French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and defender Jules Kounde are both at risk of missing the semi-finals if they pick up their second yellow card of the tournament this weekend, meaning their game plan against England could be blunted as they walk a thin tightrope.
What about the other teams?
Elsewhere in the quarter-finals, Nathan Ake and Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands), Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna (Argentina), Luka Modric and Dejan Lovren (Croatia), and Bruno Guimaraes, Fred and Eder Militao (Brazil) are all one booking away from missing the semi-finals.
More importantly for England, however, is that Morocco are at risk of missing three players for a potential semi-final clash with the Three Lions. Star midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, as well as former Wolves defender Romain Saiss and Abdelhamid Sabiri are at risk of being suspended for the semi-finals.
But things are even worse for Portugal, who are at risk of missing the likes of Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix should they face England in the semi-finals. Ruben Neves and Danilo are also one more booking away from missing out on a potential clash with the Three Lions.
