English Premier League Headlines: Cole Palmer Ready for The Blues Comeback; Gueye's Failed Red Card Appeal Mystery
1. Top Talent Palmer Fit for Crucial London Clash with Arsenal
The Blues head coach Enzo Maresca stated on the final weekday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the team's vital Premier League match against local opponents Arsenal.
The 23-year-old England international was out of action due to a fractured toe incurred after an accidental occurrence.
“He is fit to begin and feature,” Maresca declared. “All involved are pleased.”
This season, Palmer has been limited to four outings in all tournaments, netting two goals.
After joining from Manchester City in the previous year, he has achieved 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 games for the London club.
“He is our top performer, we are pleased he is back, we need to give him time to be completely ready,” Maresca continued. “His past performances have been excellent and no doubt he is going to do exceptionally well for this club in the future.”
Second Story: Everton Get No Explanation for Failed Idrissa Gueye Dismissal Appeal
The Merseyside club have failed in their challenge against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for a fight with teammate Michael Keane during the team's narrow win at Manchester United.
The veteran Senegal player was shown a red card only early on into the game after hitting Keane amid a dispute over a misplaced pass.
The player promptly expressed regret, and the pair were seen reconciled afterwards in a mock online video.
However, the challenge against the red card was rejected, and Gueye must complete a three-game ban, making Everton shorthanded for their next match against Newcastle United.
“We have appealed it and our appeal was turned down,” manager the manager said. “We received no rationale for the denial but we did appeal it.”
Inquired about additional consequences from the incident, Moyes added: “It was over immediately, it was done, that was it, we progressed quite quickly and it was all sorted within the team environment.”
3. Wissa Trains with The Magpies for First Time since Injury
The club's recent acquisition Yoane Wissa has trained with his squad for the first time since sustaining a knee problem soon after his arrival from Brentford in September.
Head coach Eddie Howe confirmed the development on Friday but did not disclose a potential return date for the 29-year-old.
Newcastle brought in the forward for a significant fee to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for a British record sum.
Unfortunately, Wissa was hurt while on national team duty 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 really pleased with how he looked,” Howe stated. “It was his initial competitive session with the team. Let’s see how he responds today.”
The manager added: “We’ve got [a return date] in mind, but it’s likely best if I keep that to myself. We aim to avoid letting people down. Naturally, we want to involve him as quickly.”
Additionally, the defender will be out of action for a four-week period with a hamstring injury.
4. The Reds' Slump ‘Irrelevant’, Says Hammers Manager Nuno
West Ham United manager Nuno Espírito Santo has claimed that the reigning champions' current slump “should not be a focus” as his team gets ready to face the ailing top-flight champions.
Arne Slot's side has been defeated in six of their previous seven league games, dropping out of the upper half of the table.
However, Nuno highlighted that there can be no room for overconfidence when the sides meet on Sunday at the their home ground.
“Liverpool is a good team and in football, what counts is what you do on the day,” Nuno remarked. “We are preparing to play the title winners, players that are skilled and capable of doing good things, so we have to prepare.
“The history of the outcomes before, the performance of the teams, is not that important. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a high-quality team, that has players able of doing amazing feats, so we have to prepare thoroughly, to compete.”
The Hammers will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his ban, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their recovery from injury.
5. Gibbs-White in Contention for Nottingham Forest against Brighton
The club's manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Morgan Gibbs-White will be fit for the team's at home match against Brighton on Sunday.
The England player missed the midweek European game against the Swedish side due to a back injury.
“We hope it is improving,” Dyche said as he prepared to face the Brighton manager's team, who have secured a decent haul from their last three matches.
“It’s like a bad back, but a waking-up sort of injury, one where you just rest awkwardly or twist funny. So we’re not expecting, at this point anyway, that it’s very severe 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 European victory, but Dyche said the player “should be fine”.
Meanwhile, the full-back (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), the winger (hamstring), the striker (knee), and the defender (hip) are expected to be unavailable.
Sixth Story: Glasner: Conference League Loss Will Not Set Back Palace
The Eagles head coach Oliver Glasner believes that the setback of Thursday's Conference League loss to the French side is a indication of how far the team has advanced in competing on two fronts.
The FA Cup holders went ahead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's first-half goal but were pegged back by the opposition manager's team, who moved up to runner-up in the table.
Crystal Palace now switch focus to domestic competition with a home fixture against the Red Devils, and Glasner is optimistic his team can maintain their challenge for a Champions League spot.
“Similar to the late loss against Everton, it just feels that it was entirely needless and it is our fault,” Glasner commented. “However, we have to accept it. The commitment was there but it is a game we shouldn’t definitely lose.”
Glasner confirmed that Borna Sosa would be absent for Sunday's match after he stayed behind to France, but Will Hughes, who was substituted during the opening period against Strasbourg, is expected to be in the team selection.