First Story: Top Player Palmer Ready for Important Capital Derby with The Gunners
The Blues manager Enzo Maresca announced on the final weekday that Cole Palmer is ready to play for the squad's vital top-flight match against London rivals Arsenal.
The 23-year-old England midfielder had been sidelined due to a fractured toe suffered after an accidental incident.
“He is available to start and to play,” Maresca declared. “The whole team is delighted.”
In the current campaign, Palmer has been limited to four outings across all competitions, netting two goals.
Since his arrival from Manchester City in the previous year, he has recorded 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 matches for the London club.
“He is our best player, we are pleased he is back, we need to allow him time to be 100% fit,” Maresca noted. “He has done fantastic in the past and no doubt he is going to do great things for this club in the future.”
Second Story: The Toffees Get No Explanation for Rejected Gueye Dismissal Challenge
Everton have failed in their appeal against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for a fight with fellow player Michael Keane during the team's 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.
The veteran Senegal midfielder was dismissed just 13 minutes into the contest after slapping Keane during a disagreement over a poor pass.
Gueye quickly said sorry, and the teammates were seen reconciled afterwards in a light-hearted online post.
However, the appeal against the red card was denied, and Gueye must complete a three-match suspension, making Everton short-staffed for their upcoming fixture against Newcastle.
“We lodged an appeal and it was unsuccessful,” coach David Moyes said. “We haven’t been given any reason why it was turned down but we did appeal it.”
When asked about any further fallout from the event, Moyes remarked: “It was over immediately, it was done, that was it, we progressed rapidly and it was all sorted within the dressing room.”
3. Yoane Wissa Practices with Newcastle for Initial Session since Injury
Newcastle United's recent signing Yoane Wissa has practiced with his squad for the initial occasion since suffering a knee problem soon after his move from his former club in the autumn.
Manager Eddie Howe confirmed the development on Friday but did not disclose a potential return date for the player.
The team brought in the striker for £55m to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for a British record transfer fee.
Unfortunately, Wissa was injured while on national team service before he could play his first game for his new club.
“He is progressing nicely, he trained with us for the first time on midweek, so I was extremely satisfied with how he looked,” Howe commented. “It was his initial competitive session with the team. Let’s see how he responds today.”
The manager added: “We have a target return date, but it’s probably best if I keep that to myself. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. Of course, we want to utilize him as promptly.”
Additionally, the defender will be sidelined for a four-week period with a hamstring issue.
Fourth Story: The Reds' Poor Form ‘Irrelevant’, Insists Hammers Manager Nuno
The Hammers head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has claimed that the reigning champions' recent poor form “doesn’t really matter” as his side gets ready to take on the struggling Premier League champions.
Arne Slot's team has been defeated in six of their previous seven league games, falling out of the upper half of the standings.
Nevertheless, Nuno emphasized that there can be no taking it easy when the sides meet on Sunday at the London Stadium.
“Liverpool is a good team and in football, what counts is what you do on the day,” Nuno commented. “We anticipate facing the league champions, players that are talented and able of doing great things, so we have to prepare.
“The history of the results before, the form of the teams, is not that important. It is about the match day. Knowing that we are going to face a high-quality team, that has players able of doing fantastic things, so we have to be fully prepared, to perform.”
West Ham will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his ban, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their return from injury.
5. Morgan Gibbs-White Could Feature for Nottingham Forest against The Seagulls
Nottingham Forest's boss Sean Dyche is optimistic that Morgan Gibbs-White will be ready for the side's at home match against Brighton on the weekend.
The English player missed Thursday's Europa League match against Malmö due to a back issue.
“Fortunately, it seems to be calming down,” Dyche commented as he prepared to face Fabian Hürzeler's team, who have taken a decent haul from their past three matches.
“It’s similar to a sore back, but a morning sort of injury, one where you just rest awkwardly or move improperly. So we’re not expecting, at this stage anyway, that it’s too serious and it’s improving already. So we’re hopeful that it’ll be okay for the weekend.”
The defender was experiencing discomfort in his hamstring after the comfortable Europa League win, but Dyche said the player “is expected to be okay”.
Meanwhile, Ola Aina (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), Chris Wood (knee), and the defender (hip) are likely to be unavailable.
Sixth Story: Oliver Glasner: Conference League Loss Won't Set Back Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner believes that the setback of midweek's Conference League loss to Strasbourg is a indication of how far the team has come in challenging on two fronts.
The FA Cup winners took the lead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's opening period goal but were pegged back by the opposition manager's team, who moved up to second in the table.
Crystal Palace now switch focus to domestic competition with a home match against the Red Devils, and Glasner is optimistic his side can maintain their push for a top four place.
“Similar to the late loss against Everton, it just feels that it was completely unnecessary and it is our fault,” Glasner said. “Alternatively, we have to take it on the chin. The commitment was there but it is a game we shouldn’t definitely lose.”
Glasner stated that Borna Sosa would not be available for Sunday's game after he stayed behind to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who was substituted during the first half against Strasbourg, is expected to be in the matchday squad.
