Aston Villa coach Remi Garde is refusing to blame his Ghanaian striker Jordan Ayew for the late yellow card that ruled him out of their crucial trip Sunderland on Saturday.

Ayew and his team-mate and Ashley Westwood's frustrations led to yellow cards which triggered one match bans as it was their fifth bookings of the season.

What makes the yellow cards even more frustrating was the fact that Ayew received the card in the last moments of Monday's 2-0 defeat to Norwich City at a stage when the match was already lost.

Garde admits the bans are frustrating, especially as the Football Association's yellow card amnesty kicks in tomorrow but insists the two players are among the most dedicated fighters in the team claiming they were provoked.

"I understood the big frustration of all the players," said Garde.

"To be fair, it was the first game since I came that I feel that we didn't our keep our heads cool, but then I'm not sure it was only because of us.

"When you look at the two players who have been booked, Ashley and Jordan, I can't say to them you should have done more in terms of the energy you spend and what you show on the pitch.

"Because they are typically the kind of players who, when they are on the pitch, are 100 per cent, so I can't blame them."