Reds Maltese strike duo Michael Mifsud and Daniel Bogdanovic were again disappointed as Malta crashed to a 3-0 defeat against Hungary in Budapest tonight.
Both players were booked in the defeat and Mifsud now faces a suspension having been booked on Saturday against Denmark.
The duo are set to return to Barnsley in time for Saturday's mammoth clash with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at Oakwell.
Meanwhile, England tightened their grip on qualification for the 2010 World Cup with a 2-1 win over Ukraine. Peter Crouch and John Terry scored either side of Andriy Shevchenko's goal.