Nianzou ruled out of Seville derby after picking up fifth yellow of the season
Tanguy Nianzou is suspended for the Seville derby after collecting his fifth booking of the season against Getafe. Four other Sevilla players are also on a warning.
Sevilla’s defensive headaches are mounting ahead of the biggest fixture in their calendar — and it’s a self-inflicted one this time.
The booking that hurts most
In the 53rd minute of Sevilla’s clash with Getafe, centre-back Tanguy Nianzou cynically chopped down a Getafe counter-attack led by Luis Vázquez. Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer had no hesitation in reaching for the yellow card — Nianzou’s fifth of the campaign — which means the Frenchman is automatically suspended for the next league match.
And that next match? Only the Seville derby against Real Betis. Lovely timing, that.
A growing list of concerns
Nianzou was hauled off shortly after by José Ángel Carmona, and here’s where it gets a bit tasty for Sevilla fans — Carmona himself is one of four other Sevilla players currently on a yellow card warning. The full list of those treading on thin ice:
- José Ángel Carmona
- César Azpilicueta
- Gabriel Suazo
- Lucien Agoumé
Any one of those lads picking up a booking before or during the derby could cause a proper headache for the gaffer.
Suazo’s early exit — precaution or concern?
There was more to keep an eye on from the Getafe game. Gabriel Suazo, the Chilean left-back, didn’t come out for the second half. He’d been on the receiving end of a rough challenge from Djené — a foul that earned the Getafe man a red card — but the early word coming out of the club is that Suazo’s substitution was purely precautionary rather than anything more serious.
His replacement, Adnan Januzaj, was joined on the pitch by Chidera Ejuke, who also came on during the second half alongside Batista Mendy going off at the break.
What it means for the derby
Losing Nianzou for a Seville derby is no small thing. He’s been one of the more reliable figures in Sevilla’s backline this season, and facing Betis without him is the sort of thing that keeps a manager up at night. Factor in four more players walking a disciplinary tightrope, and Sevilla’s preparation for one of Spanish football’s most ferocious local derbies just got a lot more complicated.
It’s the kind of situation where you almost feel sorry for them. Almost.