GARRY Flitcroft faces a two-match suspension after picking up his fifth caution of the season during Sunday's defeat by Derby County at Pride Park.

The ban comes as a bitter blow to the Blackburn Rovers midfielder, who has only just re-established himself in the side after a spell on the substitutes' bench, taking advantage of a similar absence for Billy McKinlay.

But there is some good news on the disciplinary front for Rovers boss Roy Hodgson, as three other players have applied for a yellow card to be removed from their records.

Flitcroft is set to sit out the televised FA Cup fourth round tie at Sheffield Wednesday or Watford on Monday week, as well as the Premiership game at Liverpool the following Saturday.

And he could count himself doubly unlucky at Pride Park.

For, if he had completed the match without being booked, he too would have been able to apply for one of his yellow cards to be expunged.

"The same thing happened to me at Newcastle earlier in the season when I had gone four games without a booking and was going to have one taken off.

"It was a sickener on Sunday. It shouldn't even have been a booking, I got the ball," said the midfielder.

"But there's nothing I can do about it. "You just don't want to miss games because it's so enjoyable the way the team is playing at the moment.

Rovers had three players sent off earlier this season but their disciplinary record has shown a vast improvement.

In fact, before Sunday's defeat at Derby, they had played four successive matches without picking up a single booking - a remarkable achievement these days.

That pleases Hodgson as he has often stressed the importance of good discipline which, not least, helps the squad to avoid damaging suspensions at an important stage of the season.

Fortunately, the manager is well covered in central midfield.

McKinlay was on the bench against Derby and Rovers also have Lars Bohinen and Anders Andersson competing for places alongside skipper Tim Sherwood.

The situation has also improved significantly with Chris Sutton, Kevin Gallacher and Jeff Kenna all poised to reduce any threat of their season being interrupted by suspension.

All three have stayed out of trouble for five full games.

Tickets for the Premiership game against Liverpool at Anfield are on sale to season-ticket holders only until this weekend.

Any remaining seats will go on open sale from Monday.

Prices are £18 adults, £9 juniors. There are no concessions for senior citizens.

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