Aston Villa are chasing yet another win on Friday afternoon.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has told The Birmingham Mail that he may have to drop John McGinn if he hits 14 bookings.
Villa beat Bristol City at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon, claiming a 2-1 victory despite being without key players Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings.
That’s now eight wins in a row for Villa, and they will be looking to make it nine against struggling Bolton Wanderers on Friday afternoon.
Villa are closing in on a playoff place, and whilst Smith will be looking to field his strongest side at every opportunity, there are fears about midfielder McGinn.
The former Hibernian man has been the heartbeat of the Villa midfield this season, dazzling fans with his exceptional work rate as well as his quality on the ball.
However, McGinn’s disciplinary record has not been great, and he has racked up 13 yellow cards. Two more, and McGinn must serve a three-match ban.
That’s important at this time of year, as the Scot could end up missing key playoff games or even the entire campaign if he’s not careful.
Smith has now been asked whether he’s considering resting McGinn until the playoffs to avoid a suspension, and whilst he has no plans to do that just yet, he’s admitted that he may need to take McGinn out if he picks up booking number 14 soon.
“It would depend on where we were in the league at that time and whether we were mathematically certain of the play-offs,” said Smith. “Or whether he is playing well or not. At the moment it’s nothing to worry about, he is on 13. If he gets one on Friday then I will start worrying then. At the moment, I don’t need to,” he added.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
