In Sunday’s rather tasty Championship encounter between Leeds United and Aston Villa at Elland Road, any fan who missed the fact that star midfielder John McGinn picked up a yellow card can probably be forgiven in light of everything else that transpired throughout the game.
It was the 24-year-old Scot’s 14 yellow card of the campaign and we already knew he was walking the suspension tightrope as at 15 he suffers an automatic three game suspension that would rule him out of the season extension and our coming Play-Off battles.
With so much at stake now, gambling that he wouldn’t pick up another card in the upcoming tie with Norwich City as we end the regular campaign, is rightly too much of a risk to take given how important the former Hibernian man has become for us following his summer arrival, and speaking to the Birmingham Mail following Sunday’s action, head coach Dean Smith confirmed that he wouldn’t be risked and he would be sitting this one out.
“He’s unlikely to start against Norwich, that’s for sure. He got a yellow card for his one of his only fouls of the game, I think he’s made two.”
I wouldn’t even have him on the bench to be honest, let someone else take their chance to impress as Smith continues planning for an overhaul during the summer.
