Premier League Headlines: Cole Palmer Set for The Blues Comeback; Gueye's Unsuccessful Appeal Lacks Explanation
1. Key Talent Palmer Ready for Important Capital Clash with Arsenal
The Blues head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the squad's important top-flight match against local opponents Arsenal.
The 23-year-old England midfielder was unavailable due to a broken toe sustained after an unfortunate occurrence.
“He is available to start and to play,” Maresca declared. “All involved are pleased.”
In the current campaign, Palmer has made only four appearances in every contest, netting two goals.
After joining from City in the previous year, he has recorded 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 matches for the London club.
“He is our most valuable asset, we are pleased he is back, we need to give him time to be completely ready,” 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.”
2. Everton Receive No Reason for Failed Idrissa Gueye Dismissal Appeal
Everton were unsuccessful in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's red card for a physical confrontation with teammate Michael Keane during the team's narrow win at Old Trafford.
The veteran Senegal player was dismissed just 13 minutes into the game after hitting Keane amid a disagreement over a poor pass.
Gueye immediately apologized, and the pair appeared making up afterwards in a mock social media post.
However, the challenge against the dismissal was rejected, and Gueye must complete a three-game suspension, leaving Everton short-staffed for their upcoming match 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 additional consequences from the event, Moyes continued: “It ended right away, it was done, that was it, we moved on swiftly and it was all sorted within the dressing room.”
3. Yoane Wissa Trains with Newcastle for First Time since Injury
The club's recent acquisition Yoane Wissa has practiced with his squad for the initial occasion since suffering a knee problem shortly after his move from his former club in the autumn.
Manager Eddie Howe confirmed the news on the end of the week but did not disclose a possible comeback timeline for the 29-year-old.
The team brought in the forward for a significant fee to replace Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record sum.
Regrettably, Wissa was hurt while on national team service before he could play his first game for his new club.
“His recovery is going smoothly, he trained with us for the first time on Wednesday, so I was very happy with how he looked,” Howe commented. “That’s his first time competitively with the group. Let’s see how he responds today.”
The manager continued: “We have a target return date, but it’s probably best if I withhold that information. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. Of course, we want to include him as promptly.”
In other news, Kieran Trippier will be sidelined for a four-week period with a hamstring injury.
4. The Reds' Poor Form ‘Irrelevant’, Insists Hammers Manager Nuno
West Ham United head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Liverpool' current slump “is largely irrelevant” as his team gets ready to face the struggling Premier League title holders.
The Liverpool manager's team has suffered six losses in seven recent league games, dropping out of the top 10 of the table.
However, Nuno highlighted that there can be no room for overconfidence when the sides meet 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 commented. “So what we expect is the champions of the Premier League, players that are skilled and capable of doing good things, so we have to get ready.
“The past of the results before, the form of the teams, is largely insignificant. 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 compete.”
The Hammers will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his suspension, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their recovery from injury.
Fifth Story: Morgan Gibbs-White in Contention for Forest against The Seagulls
The club's manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Morgan Gibbs-White will be ready for the team's home fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
The England player missed the midweek Europa League match against the Swedish side due to a back issue.
“Fortunately, it seems to be calming down,” Dyche said as he got ready to face Fabian Hürzeler's side, who have taken a decent haul from their last three outings.
“It’s similar to a sore back, but a waking-up sort of injury, one where you just sleep funny 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 confident that it’ll be okay for the weekend.”
The defender was feeling his hamstring after the comfortable Europa League victory, but Dyche said the player “is expected to be okay”.
However, Ola Aina (thigh injury), Douglas Luiz (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), Chris Wood (knee), and the defender (hip) are expected to miss out.
6. Oliver Glasner: European Loss Will Not Set Back Crystal Palace
The Eagles head coach Oliver Glasner feels that the setback of Thursday's European loss to the French side is a indication of how far the club has come in competing on multiple fronts.
The FA Cup holders went ahead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's opening period goal but were pegged back by Liam Rosenior's team, who moved up to second in the table.
Crystal Palace now return to domestic competition with a at Selhurst Park match against Manchester United, and Glasner is optimistic his side can maintain their challenge for a Champions League spot.
“Maybe like the late defeat at Everton, it just feels that it was entirely needless and it is our fault,” Glasner said. “On the other side, we have to take it on the chin. The effort was there but it is a game we shouldn’t definitely lose.”
Glasner confirmed that Borna Sosa would miss out for the weekend's game after he stayed behind to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who went off during the first half against the opponents, is expected to be in the team selection.