Crystal Palace 'pitbull' midfielder receives Premier League ban in Southampton and Ipswich Town boost

Crystal Palace will be without midfield linchpin Will Hughes for the next two Premier League games after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season against Aston Villa at Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening.

The 29-year-old will miss out against Ipswich Town and Southampton as per top flight rules. It’s the second time this season Hughes has missed matches due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

The defensive midfielder, who has made 23 Premier League appearances this season, was ineligible to play against Fulham in November having picked up five yellow cards within the first 10 rounds of fixtures.

Crystal Palace man picks up two-game ban

Since then, more yellow cards have come against Ipswich Town, Southampton and Manchester United before the booking against Aston Villa in midweek. Hughes will be able to play against Millwall in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon with the suspension only applying to league fixtures.

Hughes, who has been at Selhurst Park since arriving from Watford in 2021, earnt praise for his efforts in the recent 2-0 win over Fulham. Rarely among the goals, the midfielder specialises in the ‘dirty work’ and was singled out for commendation by BBC Sport.

The outlet noted his ‘full-blooded, lung-busting, pit-bull performances’ for Crystal Palace and noted that he ‘shaped the game’ against the Cottagers with ‘crunching’ tackles.

Hughes is out of contract at Crystal Palace this summer but manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that talks over an extension are underway. The Eagles hold the option to trigger another 12 months but are eyeing up a longer term deal with the player.

Eagles in talks with Will Hughes over contract extension

Glasner said: “We have the possibility to extend his contract by a year. After that, it is a discussion between Crystal Palace and his agent. They are discussing doing it longer, then you have to find an agreement.

“There are three parts, Crystal Palace, Hughes and the agent – they all have to feel it is a good deal. As a manager, I have no concerns because I know he will be here for at least the next year and a half. At the moment, that is okay.”

Glasner went on to outline the player’s importance in his side. The Crystal Palace manager said: "Will has a great mentality. He has an outstanding understanding of football, anticipates the game and positions himself in advance, his quick passing with one or two touches. He knows exactly what we want to do in and out of possession, so he can transmit it [effectively].

"What I appreciate a lot is that together with Marc [Guehi], he talks in the dressing room and talks on the pitch with the players - he organises things like set plays and always pushes the players. I am really pleased we have him in the squad."

In other news, Millwall head coach Alex Neil confirmed his plans this week to prepare for the FA Cup tie this weekend.