Five Djurgården defenders are at risk of suspension ahead of the upcoming Stockholm derby against Hammarby. Miro Tenho, Jacob Une, Adam Ståhl, Bo Hegland and Matitas Siltanen are all on a yellow-card warning ahead of Saturday's match against IF Elfsborg.

A booking in that game would see the player miss the away fixture against Hammarby FF on October 11th. The team sits third in Allsvenskan with 41 points and faces a Hammarby side in second place, making suspensions particularly costly. Djurgården have taken 10 points from their last five matches, a form they want to defend in the title race.

Suspension threat is widespread

Jacob Une has lived with the threat for several matches. "I've been on two warnings now in loads of matches." says the team captain. Adam Ståhl has been in the same situation for five consecutive games. "If it happens, it happens, you can't overthink it," he states.

Miro Tenho already served a suspension in the recent derby against AIK after picking up his third yellow card in the 2-0 win over Västerås SK. The Allsvenskan rules, where three yellow cards trigger a one-match ban, have drawn criticism within the club. The captain has discussed the system with players like Marcus Rinne and Gustav Wikheim, pointing to Denmark's points system as an alternative. He believes three cards is too harsh.

Honkavaara must balance

Manager Jani Honkavaara is aware of the dilemma. He is prepared to act during the match against Elfsborg to protect key players. "We'll see how the match develops and if we have to take players off," he says. It's difficult to change the starting eleven solely due to suspension risks, but he knows how important it is for the players to be available for the derby.

"We have to play well, because poor play and misjudged situations lead to yellow cards," explains Honkavaara. The team comes in after a tough 1-2 loss to Elfsborg, where Jacob Une scored. The last meeting with Hammarby ended 1-1 in April. To stay in the title race, Djurgården needs all players available. The next match is against Elfsborg on Saturday, with the derby against Hammarby waiting exactly three weeks later.

Read the full report at Aftonbladet Sportbladet