Sean Davis will be walking a disciplinary tightrope in Saturday's Premier League match at home to Wigan, with the combative Portsmouth midfielder just one booking away from missing next week's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against West Bromwich Albion.

Davis has only just regained his place after injury, thanks, ironically, to the suspensions of Sulley Muntari and Papa Bouba Diop, who complete their two-match bans just in time for the semi-final.

"I honestly didn't know I was already on nine yellow cards, but I know a 10th one brings a ban," Davis said. "On reflection, I wondered why the manager told me to watch any silly tackles against Spurs last week but if I go out there thinking maybe I won't tackle so much, then you won't get the same game out of me.

"I'll just have to time my tackles a little bit better, but this is the way I am. If a ball is there to be won, I want to go out and win it. "Obviously I've got no defence against the cards I've had for dissent. There have been a couple of those for talking back to the referee, and I know I must try to cut those out because it may be a bit immature on my part. But you get the feeling sometimes now that if you go for a tackle you are just going to get booked.

"I do feel sorry for referees in a way but some you can talk to, and some you just can't. If you can talk to the referee I find you have more respect, and I definitely think players have got to show that, but if he thinks he's just the be all and end all out there then you are going to have problems.

"It's hard for them. There have been one or two incidents with players lately and there are eyes and cameras on the refs everywhere, but if that is what they came into the game to do then they have to deal with that."

Davis, 28, admitted to feeling frustarated by his injuries this season.

"Of course, it has been frustrating because for a large majority of the season I was playing well and the team was winning games, especially away from home, but then I got injured with my foot and by the time I got back the club had bought new players," he said.

"I've been back a while now but it has been hard to get into the team, and I know I've got to do something special to give the manager a nice headache. I thought I did all right at Spurs and I'd play in goal if it meant appearing in the semi-final because the big games mean everything. And if I could just get on the bench at Wembley, which is a big fight on its own, it would be something."