Chelsea’s Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero top list of Premier League stars who miss Boxing Day fixtures through suspension
Meet the all-star cast of Prem players who are conveniently banned for Boxing Day fixtures
YULE never believe how naughty these Prem stars have been just before Santa is coming to town.
Suspended Diego Costa, N’Golo Kante, Marko Arnautovic, Jamie Vardy and Sergio Aguero will be tucking into turkey and the trimmings as their pals prepare for the Boxing Day action.
But, just as long as their team-mates don’t get a festive stuffing, then maybe the players’ furious bosses will resist roasting their chestnuts on an open fire!
So just who are the unlucky/lucky stars who will miss out on their teams' Boxing Day matches this season?
Diego Costa
The Chelsea striker went ten games without picking up a yellow card, before getting suspended just in time for Christmas.
Costa was booked for dissent after being pulled up for a cynical foul at Crystal Palace, and will sit out the Blues' home match against Bournemouth.
N'Golo Kante
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte probably couldn't believe what he was seeing when the Frenchman followed Costa into the book at Selhurst Park.
If there were two players the Italian really wouldn't want to do without, Kante and Costa would be pretty high up the list.
Matt Lowton
There can't be many things more annoying for a manager than seeing your player earn a suspension in the 92nd minute, as the Burnley right-back did at Tottenham.
Lowton will now miss the crucial Boxing Day clash at home to fellow promoted side Middlesbrough.
Jamie Vardy
The England striker was sent off for a two-footed tackle at Stoke and will sit out Boxing Day after the club lost an appeal.
The Foxes had seven players shown a card at the Britannia which means they are set to receive an automatic fine from the FA.
Christian Fuchs
The Austrian was among six Leicester players to be shown yellow cards in ten minutes of madness from referee Craig Pawson at Stoke.
Fuchs will now miss the Boxing Day game against Everton at the King Power Stadium.
Robert Huth
Huth was the final player booked before sanity was restored at the Britannia.
A flurry of cards that started in the 38th minute with Danny Simpson, saw Andy King, Islam Slimani, Fuchs and Marc Albrighton all booked before the German became Pawson's final victim three minutes after half time.
Pedro Obiang
The Spaniard was shown a yellow card in the 36th minute of West Ham's laboured 1-0 win over Hull.
He will sit out the Hammers' match at Swansea.
Marko Arnautovic
The Stoke forward will serve the second of a three-game ban at Liverpool after being dismissed for a high-tackle on Southampton's Sofiane Boufal.
Mark Hughes decided against appealing but said referees come to the Britannia with the intention of showing Potters players early cards to "calm Stoke down".
Sergio Aguero
Aguero will serve the last of a four-game ban for his horrendous knee-high tackle on David Luiz in the final stages of Man City's 3-1 loss at home to Chelsea.
His absence has seen boss Pep Guardiola resort to playing without strikers altogether, a tactic that worked wonders against Arsenal.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Marcos Rojo
The Man United defender did his best to earn a Boxing Day suspension with a two-footed tackle on Wilfried Zaha that most agreed was far worse than Jamie Vardy's.
But that man Craig Pawson decided it was only worthy of a yellow card, meaning Rojo will be available for United against Sunderland.
