🔗 Share this article

1. Key Player Palmer Fit for Crucial Capital Clash with Arsenal

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca announced on Friday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the squad's significant top-flight fixture against local rivals Arsenal.

The young England international was out of action due to a broken toe sustained after an accidental incident.

“He is available to start and to play,” Maresca declared. “Everyone is happy.”

In the current campaign, Palmer has made only four appearances in every contest, finding the net on two occasions.

Since his arrival from Manchester City in 2023, he has achieved 45 goals and 29 assists in 101 games for Chelsea.

“He is our most valuable asset, we are pleased he is back, we need to allow him time to be 100% fit,” Maresca continued. “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: Everton Get No Explanation for Rejected Gueye Red Card Challenge

Everton were unsuccessful in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for a physical confrontation with fellow player Michael Keane during the squad's single-goal triumph at Manchester United.

The 36-year-old Senegal midfielder was shown a red card just early on into the contest after slapping Keane amid a dispute over a poor pass.

The player immediately apologized, and the teammates were seen making up afterwards in a light-hearted social media video.

However, the appeal against the dismissal was rejected, and Gueye must complete a three-match suspension, leaving Everton depleted for their next match against Newcastle.

“We challenged the decision and it was rejected,” coach David Moyes revealed. “We received no rationale for the denial but we did appeal it.”

Inquired about additional consequences from the incident, Moyes remarked: “It was over immediately, it was done, that was it, we progressed rapidly and it was all sorted within the team environment.”

Third Story: Yoane Wissa Trains with The Magpies for First Time since Injury

The club's recent signing Yoane Wissa has practiced with his squad for the first time since suffering a knee problem soon after his move from his former club in the autumn.

Head coach Eddie Howe confirmed the news on the end of the week but withheld a possible return date for the player.

Newcastle brought in the striker for £55m to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record sum.

Unfortunately, Wissa was hurt while on national team service before he could make his debut for Newcastle.

“He is progressing nicely, he trained with us for the first time on Wednesday, so I was really pleased with how he looked,” Howe stated. “It was his initial competitive session with the team. Let’s see how he responds today.”

Howe continued: “There is a planned comeback timeline, but it’s probably best if I do not share it publicly. We aim to avoid letting people down. Of course, we want to include him as promptly.”

In other news, Kieran Trippier will be sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury.

4. Liverpool' Slump ‘Doesn’t Matter’, Says West Ham Manager Nuno

The Hammers manager Nuno Espírito Santo has claimed that Liverpool' dip in performance “should not be a focus” as his side prepares to face the struggling Premier League title holders.

Arne Slot's team has lost six of the last seven league games, falling out of the top 10 of the table.

However, Nuno emphasized that there can be no complacency when the teams clash on the weekend at the London Stadium.

“The Reds are a strong team and in football, what matters is what you do on the day,” Nuno said. “We are preparing to play the title winners, players that are talented and capable of doing good things, so we have to get ready.

“The history of the results before, the form of the teams, doesn’t really matter. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a excellent team, that has players able of doing wonderful things, so we have to be fully prepared, to compete.”

The Hammers will have available Lucas Paquetá after his suspension, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are progressing in their recovery from injury.

Fifth Story: Gibbs-White in Contention for Forest against The Seagulls

Nottingham Forest's manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Morgan Gibbs-White will be available for the team's home fixture against Brighton on Sunday.

The English international missed the midweek European match against the Swedish side due to a back injury.

“Fortunately, it seems to be calming down,” Dyche stated as he got ready to face Fabian Hürzeler's side, who have taken seven points 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 settling down already. So we’re confident that it’ll be okay for the weekend.”

The defender was experiencing discomfort in his hamstring after the 3-0 Europa League victory, but Dyche indicated the player “should be fine”.

However, the full-back (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), the striker (knee), and the defender (hip) are likely to be unavailable.

6. Glasner: European Loss Will Not Set Back Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner feels that the disappointment of Thursday's European loss to the French side is a sign of how far the team has advanced in competing on multiple fronts.

The FA Cup winners went ahead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's first-half goal but were pegged back by Liam Rosenior's side, who climbed to second in the table.

Crystal Palace now switch focus to Premier League competition with a home fixture against Manchester United, and Glasner is confident his side can maintain their push for a top four spot.

“Maybe like the late defeat at Everton, it just feels that it was entirely needless and it is our fault,” Glasner said. “However, we have to accept it. The effort was there but it is a game we shouldn’t definitely lose.”

Glasner stated that Borna Sosa would be absent for Sunday's game after he stayed behind to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who went off during the opening period against the opponents, should be in the matchday squad.