Cannavaro suspension: perfect timing

Fabio Cannavaro, the highly paid Italian international and former Fifa World Player of the Year who plays for Al Ahli, has three yellow cards in three Pro League matches, and must serve a suspension.

Luckily for the Pro League and Ahli, Cannavaro will serve that suspension today and not in a riveting Pro League matchup Friday when table-topping Al Jazira travels to Dubai to play Ahli.

Cannavaro will serve his suspension tomorrow afternoon in a first-round President's Cup match between Ahli ... and second-tier Al Rams. In what figures to be a little-noticed game at Ajman.

Cherie Mansfield, marketing and communications manager for the Pro League, said today that disciplinary actions "carry across both competitions". Which works out great for the Pro League. The league's best-known player will, then, be able to play in the Jazira match.

Ahli ought to be able to carry on without their central defender just fine vs. Al Rams tomorrow. And, at 37, he probably doesn't mind the time off during what amounts to an extra fixture on the schedule. Almost makes a person wonder if he remonstrated with the referee so forcibly in extra time at Kalba because he was thinking he would like to take a day off.

The situation is similar for Khalid Sabeel, Jazira's right back. Sabeel picked up his third yellow against Wahda last weekend, and he must serve a one-match suspension -- and will do it on Tuesday when Jazira is playing the lower-division Ras al Khaimah club at the Al Shaab grounds in Dubai in another President's Cup mismatch. Uh, match.

But he will be available for the Ahli biggie on Friday. He and Cannavaro should wave at each other, at the least. Their timing was perfect.