Chelsea are on course to smash their own unwanted Premier League record after picking up an astonishing 27 yellow cards in their opening seven games.

Enzo Maresca’s team are averaging almost four yellow cards per match, which means, if they continue at the same rate, Chelsea are on course to finish the league season with just over 146 bookings.

That would comfortably beat the Premier League record for bookings across a season that Chelsea set last term by finishing the campaign with 105 yellow cards, four more than previous record-holders Leeds United.

Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana will be suspended for Chelsea’s next game against Liverpool following the international break after becoming the first players in the league to reach five yellow cards.

The club will also be fined £50,000 by the FA for amassing six or more yellow cards for the second time already this season against Nottingham Forest, having also done so against Bournemouth.

The 14 yellow cards shown in Chelsea’s victory at Bournemouth on September 14 was the highest-ever in Premier League history. Six of them went to the visitors.

Chelsea and Forest are waiting to find out whether or not they will be charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players during Sunday’s 1-1 draw. Nicolas Jackson will hope to avoid retrospective action for shoving his hand into the face of Forest substitute Morato - even though he had already been substituted.

According to records provided by Opta, 11 of Chelsea’s 27 yellow cards this season have been shown for non-fouls, with all three of Cole Palmer’s bookings coming as a result of dissent. Two of Cucurella’s five bookings have been for dissent and arguing, while Fofana’s five bookings have all been shown for fouls.

In total, Chelsea have had 13 players booked this season and the club’s tally of 27 cautions is three more than Manchester United, who have the second-highest total. Unlike United, Chelsea are yet to have a player sent off this season.

Head coach Maresca insisted he was pleased with his team’s fight after the draw with Forest, but Chelsea’s discipline could have an impact on his plans if it does not improve.

Players receive one-match bans for reaching five yellow cards during the first 19 league matches and a two-match suspension if they are booked 10 times before and including the 32nd game of the season.

Should a player reach 15 bookings in a season, which has never happened, they will be punished with a three-game ban.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League table. Rivals Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle United have all tallied under 20 bookings each so far this season.

Chelsea’s booked players

• Wesley Fofana 5 yellow cards

• Marc Cucurella 5

• Cole Palmer 3

• Nicolas Jackson 2

• Moisés Caicedo 2

• Levi Colwill 2

• Pedro Neto 2

• Renato Veiga 1

• Malo Gusto 1

• Enzo Fernández 1

• João Félix 1

• Robert Sánchez 1

• Jadon Sancho 1