The issue with yellow cards pre-dates Maresca’s appointment in June.

Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke last season about how “silly” bookings were a problem and showed video clips to his players to try to rectify the issue.

The Blues were punished last season for not adapting to new Premier League rules for dissent.

Jackson picked up 10 bookings last season but only one was for a foul, the others were for dissent, not retreating quickly enough for a free-kick and entering the field of play when a substitute.

Other players fell foul in similar situations and captain Reece James received two red cards – including one for two yellows – despite playing just 421 minutes.

The immaturity of Chelsea’s young squad may be another factor and with centre-back Thiago Silva having departed in the summer the average age of the group has dropped further to 23.4, according to data from Transfermarkt.

The Blues also have the lowest average height in the league, according to Transfermarkt, averaging just over 5ft 8in, which was another issue Pochettino complained about when in charge.

It perhaps leads to a tendency for players to look at other ways to try and impart their physicality on matches.

And under both Pochettino and Maresca Chelsea are firmly a possession-based team, trying to implement various pressing styles. That pressing can lead to bookings in transition phases and there is a tendency for teams operating these tactics to produce tactical fouls to stop counter-attacks.

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body which governs referees in England, has also changed the rules in recent years, with an automatic yellow card now expected to be brandished in several situations.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Cameron Carter-Vickers will return to training this week and expressed hope the centre half will be available for the top-of-the-table meeting with Aberdeen on 19 October. (Herald), external

Ross County boss Don Cowie claims Celtic should never have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to Nicolas Kuhn’s late winner in Dingwall. (Football Scotland), external

Interim Hearts manager Liam Fox insists the ball was still moving at a free-kick which led to Aberdeen’s second goal at Pittodrie, while revealing Jorge Grant has apologised for his sending off, having picked up his first booking for complaining about the incident. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

“The rules must have changed,” quipped Sky Sports pundit and ex-Rangers striker Kris Boyd as Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic avoided a second yellow card for joining the crowd in his goal celebrations. (Football Scotland), external

Responding to Boyd’s comments, former referee Bobby Madden used social media to point out such action was “removed as mandatory caution over a decade ago”, while sharing clips of similar celebrations. (Daily Record), external

James Tavernier insists Rangers are getting better and better as he brushed off criticism over his position following the Ibrox captain’s substitution in the Europa League defeat to Lyon. (Herald), external

Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has signed a new deal at Villa Park to keep him at the club until 2030.

The 20-year-old moved to Villa Park in January 2023 in a £18m deal from Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire, signing a five-and-a-half year deal until 2028.

The Colombian came close to leaving Villa in the summer after interest from Chelsea and West Ham.

But he remained in the Midlands and has scored six times so far this season, including in a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

Duran has scored winning goals against West Ham, Leicester and Everton in the Premier League so far this season.

The Colombia international was Emery’s second signing at Villa Park following his appointment in October 2022.

He has scored 14 goals in 56 appearances for the club, as well as one goal in 12 caps for Colombia.

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has said his negotiations with the BBC over a new contract have “just started”, following speculation about his future.

Last week, the MailOnline reported that BBC bosses may be preparing to announce the 63-year-old’s departure after 25 years.

On the latest episode of his podcast The Rest is Football, posted on Monday, Lineker said: “I’m coming to the end of my contract in the summer, so it’s natural at some point that you have to have conversations, and they’ve just started.”

He said he didn’t know why the speculation had “spiralled out of control, but all is OK”, and that “there are bigger problems in the world”.

The former England striker made light of the situation at the start of Saturday’s edition of Match of the Day.

“Hello, seven games on the way and it’s my final show,” he told viewers, before pausing and adding: “Before the international break.”

The Premier League will take a break this weekend for the latest round of international fixtures.

Lineker joked about his future again on The Rest is Football with co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Shearer told him: “Me and Micah have been worried about you the last few days. Can you tell us anything about your contract?

“It’s like you, [Mo] Salah, [Virgil] Van Dijk and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] are all coming to the end of your contract. What’s going on? Inform us, please.”

Lineker replied: “I think there is one significant difference – Liverpool fans really care about those three.”

He added that it had been “a strange few days”, and that his co-stars are “in a similar predicament”.

“So perhaps you’ll have the Daily Mail on your doorstep tomorrow now that they know that.”

When Richards remarked that he had been given odds of 4-1 to take over, Lineker replied: “Four to one? Blimey. I’d love to see you take over. I think you’d be brilliant in the chair.”

“No, I wouldn’t!” Richards laughed.

Shearer jokingly told the former Manchester City defender: “That is a massive concern. I’m not signing my new contract if you’re the presenter, by the way.”

Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC’s highest-paid star, of those whose salaries are declared, earning more than £1.3m a year.

However, the former footballer has also been involved in controversy at the corporation because of his social media activity.

He was briefly suspended by BBC bosses last year after an outcry over a post about the UK’s asylum policy.

Responding to the speculation about his future on Thursday, a BBC spokesperson said: “We have nothing to announce, and we have not agreed next steps with regard to his contract.

“He is under contract until the end of the season.”

Celtic defender Greg Taylor will miss Scotland’s Nations League matches against Croatia and Portugal.

The left-back, 26, was absent for Sunday’s win at Ross County after picking up a calf injury in the midweek Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Taylor, capped 14 times, also withdrew from the squad for the opening defeats to Poland and Portugal in this campaign.

Head coach Steve Clarke was already without 10 players through injury and there are doubts over Angus Gunn.

The Norwich City goalkeeper was withdrawn at half-time on Saturday after a taking a heavy knock to the ribs.

Vice-captain John McGinn is among those unavailable, with Nicky Devlin, Liam Lindsay and Andy Irving all called up for the first time.

Scotland visit Zagreb on Saturday before hosting Portugal three days later.

Portugal lead Group A1 on six points, with Croatia and Poland both on three and Scotland yet to get off the mark.