A WHOLE host of Premier League stars are on the verge of potentially getting Christmas off.
While the rest of us stuff ourselves on Christmas Day lunch and follow that up by finishing off the leftovers on Boxing Day, that is not the case for our top-flight players.
Some even have to leave their loved ones behind on the most special day of the year in order to travel to an away game.
Boxing Day is traditionally one of the most looked forward to and action-packed days in the UK footy calendar.
However, not every player always looks forward to it - and some have even been believed to have intentionally got suspended in order to get it off and stay at home for the family festivities.
Jurgen Klopp's approach with Robert Lewandowski bodes well for Darwin Nunez
As it happens, there are currently 34 men in the Premier League that are walking tightropes ahead of the next round of fixtures - starting with tonight’s game between Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Prem rules state that if a player gets booked five times before the 19-game halfway mark of the campaign then they will receive an automatic one-game ban.
With most teams just having two matches to go before they reach that point when all booking tallies will reset, managers across the country will be desperate to keep all of their men available.
But with a huge list of players one card away from a ban, it seems almost inevitable that at least some will pick up a caution over the next four days and miss out on their club’s Boxing Day fixture.
And there are several big names amongst the lengthy list of those on the verge of suspension - including those battling it out in the title race.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Both Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez are at risk, while Aston Villa have key duo Matty Cash and John McGinn on four bookings apiece.
Faltering Newcastle may end up with Joelinton while Chelsea face being without Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling if they get booked.
Here is the full list of the 34 players that are one caution away from having Boxing Day off below:
Anel Ahmedhodzic (Sheffield United)
Celtic icon Frank McGarvey dies aged 66 as tributes paid to hero after cancer fight
Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves)
Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford)
Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Joelinton (Newcastle)
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace)
Jayden Bogle (Sheffield United)
Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
Vladimir Coufal (West Ham)
Abdoulaye Doucoure (Everton)
Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
Saman Ghoddos (Brentford)
Billy Gilmour (Brighton)
Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United)
Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Hwang Hee-Chan (Wolves)
Issa Kabore (Luton Town)
Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle)
Sean Longstaff (Newcastle)
Orel Mangala (Nottingham Forest)
John McGinn (Aston Villa)
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)
Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
William Osula (Sheffield United)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham)
Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest)
Pape Sarr (Tottenham)
Marcos Senesi (AFC Bournemouth)
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace)
Ashley Young (Everton)
