Tom Flanagan will sit out Sunderland's trip to Fleetwood Town next weekend - forcing Lee Johnson to break up his ever-present League One central defensive pairing.
Northern Ireland international Flanagan was booked in Sunderland's 2-1 win against Accrington Stanley at the Stadium of Light yesterday, with that yellow card taking his tally for the season to five following cautions against MK Dons, Burton, AFC Wimbledon, and Wycombe Wanderers.
And after reaching the five-booking mark, he must now serve a one-match suspension which will rule him out of the game against Simon Grayson's Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium.
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Flanagan has started every league game this season alongside on-loan Manchester City teenager Callum Doyle, and the 29-year-old also started Sunderland's Carabao Cup win at Port Vale last month meaning he has missed only one game in all competitions this season.
But now Johnson will have to find a replacement at Fleetwood, with the experienced Australia international Bailey Wright - who has come off the bench in five out of the six league games - most likely to be called upon to fill the gap left by Flanagan.
Another option open to Johnson would be to hand a league debut to on-loan West Ham centre-back Frederik Alves.
