Why suspended Preston North End man will be available against Charlton Athletic in FA Cup

Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman has picked up a two match suspension after his booking against Oxford United.

The Lilywhites skipper was cautioned for a foul on Siriki Dembele in the 86th minute of the match at Deepdale. Whiteman missed the October home game against Coventry City for collecting five yellow cards and the booking last weekend took his tally to ten for the 2024/25 campaign.

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With it well before the 37 game cut-off the number four will now miss the next two matches. However, that does not include this Saturday’s third round Emirates FA Cup tie at home to Charlton Athletic. The 10 bookings rule only applies to fixtures in EFL competitions.

Rules in the FA Cup are different, so Whiteman will be available against the Addicks but then sit out of the Championship encounters with Luton Town and Watford. For teams who enter the FA Cup at round three, two bookings up to the quarter-finals will lead to a one-game suspension.