EPL Updates: Palmer Poised for The Blues Return; Idrissa Gueye's Failed Red Card Appeal Lacks Explanation
1. Star Talent Palmer Available for High-Stakes London Derby with Arsenal
The Blues manager Enzo Maresca stated on Friday that Cole Palmer is ready to play for the squad's important Premier League encounter against London rivals Arsenal.
The young England international had been sidelined due to a fractured toe incurred after an unfortunate incident.
“He is available to start and to play,” Maresca said. “All involved are pleased.”
In the current campaign, Palmer has made only four appearances across all competitions, scoring twice.
Following his transfer from City in 2023, he has achieved 45 scores and 29 helpers in 101 appearances for the London club.
“He is our best player, we are pleased he is back, we need to provide him with time to be 100% fit,” Maresca added. “He has been brilliant historically and no doubt he is going to do very good for this club in the future.”
2. The Toffees Receive No Explanation for Failed Gueye Dismissal Challenge
The Merseyside club were unsuccessful in their appeal against Idrissa Gueye's sending off for an on-field altercation with teammate Michael Keane during the squad's 1-0 victory at Manchester United.
The veteran Senegal player was sent off only early on into the contest after hitting Keane amid a disagreement over a poor pass.
Gueye immediately apologized, and the teammates were seen making up afterwards in a mock social media post.
However, the appeal against the red card was rejected, and Gueye must complete a three-match ban, making Everton short-staffed for their next fixture against Newcastle.
“We have appealed it and our appeal was turned down,” coach David Moyes revealed. “We received no rationale for the denial but we did appeal it.”
Inquired about additional consequences from the incident, Moyes continued: “The matter was resolved instantly, it was done, that was it, we moved on rapidly and it was all sorted within the team environment.”
3. Wissa Practices with The Magpies for First Time since Setback
The club's recent acquisition Yoane Wissa has trained with his squad for the first time since sustaining a knee injury soon after his move from Brentford in the autumn.
Manager Eddie Howe confirmed the development on Friday but kept private a potential return date for the 29-year-old.
Newcastle brought in the forward for £55m to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for a record-breaking sum.
Unfortunately, Wissa was injured while on national team duty before he could play his first game for Newcastle.
“His recovery is going smoothly, 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.”
Howe continued: “We have a target return date, 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 promptly.”
In other news, the defender will be sidelined for a four-week period with a hamstring injury.
4. The Reds' Slump ‘Irrelevant’, Insists Hammers Manager Nuno
West Ham United head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that the reigning champions' dip in performance “should not be a focus” as his team gets ready to take on the struggling Premier League champions.
The Liverpool manager's team has suffered six losses in seven recent league matches, falling out of the top 10 of the standings.
Nevertheless, Nuno highlighted that there can be no taking it easy when the sides meet on the weekend 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 capable of doing great things, so we have to get ready.
“The past 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 capable of doing amazing feats, so we have to get ready, to compete.”
The Hammers will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his suspension, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are progressing in their recovery from fitness issues.
Fifth Story: Gibbs-White Could Feature for Forest against Brighton
The club's manager Sean Dyche is optimistic that Morgan Gibbs-White will be fit for the team's at home fixture against Brighton on Sunday.
The English international missed the midweek European game against the Swedish side due to a back injury.
“We hope it is improving,” Dyche stated as he got ready to face the Brighton manager's side, who have secured seven points from their past three outings.
“It’s comparable to back pain, but a waking-up sort of injury, one where you just rest awkwardly or move improperly. So we’re not anticipating, at this point anyway, that it’s too serious and it’s improving already. So we’re confident that it’ll be fine for the weekend.”
Murillo was feeling his hamstring after the 3-0 European victory, but Dyche indicated the player “should be fine”.
Meanwhile, Ola Aina (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), the striker (knee), and the defender (hip) are likely to miss out.
6. Glasner: Conference League Defeat Won't Set Back Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner feels that the setback of Thursday's Conference League defeat to the French side is a indication of how much progress the club has advanced in competing on two fronts.
The FA Cup winners took the lead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's first-half goal but were equalized against by Liam Rosenior's side, who climbed to runner-up in the table.
The Eagles now switch focus to domestic action with a at Selhurst Park fixture against the Red Devils, and Glasner is optimistic his team 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 commented. “However, 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 did not travel to France, but Will Hughes, who went off during the opening period against Strasbourg, should be in the team selection.