The new FIFA rule makes it possible: at the World Cup, no German player has to worry about a yellow card suspension before the quarterfinals.
If Julian Nagelsmann is considering rotating his lineup for the final World Cup group stage match against Ecuador, he doesn’t need to worry about impending suspensions. Since the 18 players he has fielded so far—against Curaçao (7–1) and the Ivory Coast (2–1)—have not received any cautions, their participation in the next round is guaranteed even if they receive a yellow card on Thursday.
Since the national team has already secured first place in the group, Nagelsmann could consider making changes to his starting lineup to rest his regulars—in addition to Nico Schlotterbeck, whose appearance against Ecuador is likely out of the question, as the Dortmund center back suffered a ligament injury to his left foot against the Ivory Coast. The exact diagnosis has not yet been released, but the Dortmund player is unlikely to be able to play, at least for the time being.
Six field players have yet to see action
So far, in addition to the two goalkeepers, Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel, six field players have yet to see any action. Malick Thiaw, Angelo Stiller, Pascal Groß, Maximilian Beier, Nick Woltemade, and Assan Ouedraogo are all waiting for their first World Cup minutes in North America.
New FIFA Rule for Yellow Card Suspensions
FIFA had changed the rules regarding yellow-card suspensions for the first-ever 48-team World Cup. Because teams play one more match in the knockout stage than before, individual yellow cards will be cleared from a player’s personal record after the third group stage match and after the quarterfinals in this tournament.
Of course, yellow-red cards—which result in a suspension for the next match—remain in effect. Decisions regarding red cards are made on a case-by-case basis, and longer suspensions may even be imposed in some cases.
A player is not allowed to sit out a match until after receiving a second yellow card. Since no DFB player has received a yellow card yet, a suspension is possible at the earliest upon reaching the quarterfinals—namely, if a player were to receive a yellow card in both the round of 32 and the round of 16. A yellow card against Ecuador would be immediately removed from the tally.