English Premier League News Roundup: Palmer Poised for Chelsea Comeback; Idrissa Gueye's Failed Appeal Lacks Explanation
1. Star Talent Palmer Ready for High-Stakes Capital Derby with The Gunners
The Blues manager Enzo Maresca stated on the final weekday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the team's significant Premier League fixture against London opponents Arsenal.
The 23-year-old England midfielder had been sidelined due to a fractured toe sustained after an unfortunate incident.
“He is ready to start and participate,” Maresca commented. “All involved are pleased.”
In the current campaign, Palmer has been limited to four outings in all tournaments, finding the net on two occasions.
After joining from Manchester City in the previous year, he has notched 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 appearances for Chelsea.
“He is our top performer, we are delighted he is back, we need to give him time to be completely ready,” Maresca continued. “He has been brilliant historically and no doubt he is going to do great things for this club in the future.”
Second Story: The Toffees Get No Reason for Failed Idrissa Gueye Red Card Challenge
The Merseyside club were unsuccessful in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for a physical confrontation with teammate Michael Keane during the squad's single-goal triumph at Manchester United.
The veteran Senegalese player was shown a red card only early on into the game after striking Keane amid a dispute over a poor pass.
The player promptly expressed regret, and the teammates were seen reconciled afterwards in a light-hearted social media post.
However, the appeal against the dismissal was denied, and Gueye must complete a three-game ban, making Everton short-staffed for their next fixture against Newcastle United.
“We have appealed it and our appeal was turned down,” manager David Moyes stated. “No explanation was provided for the rejection but we did appeal it.”
Inquired about any further fallout from the event, Moyes continued: “It was over immediately, it was done, that was it, we moved on quite quickly and it was all sorted within the dressing room.”
3. Wissa Practices with Newcastle for First Time since Injury
The club's new signing Yoane Wissa has trained with his squad for the first time since suffering a knee problem shortly after his move from Brentford in the autumn.
Head coach Eddie Howe announced the development on the end of the week but kept private a possible comeback timeline for the player.
The team signed the striker for £55m to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for a British record transfer fee.
Regrettably, Wissa was injured while on national team duty 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 really pleased with how he looked,” Howe commented. “That’s his first time competitively with the group. Let’s see how he responds today.”
Howe continued: “We’ve got [a return date] in mind, but it’s likely best if I keep that to myself. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. Naturally, we want to include him as soon as possible.”
Additionally, Kieran Trippier will be sidelined for a month with a hamstring issue.
Fourth Story: Liverpool' Poor Form ‘Doesn’t Matter’, Says West Ham Boss Nuno
West Ham United head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Liverpool' recent poor form “should not be a focus” as his side prepares to take on the struggling Premier League title holders.
The Liverpool manager's side has lost six of the last seven Premier League matches, falling out of the upper half of the table.
Nevertheless, Nuno highlighted that there can be no room for overconfidence when the teams 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. “So what we expect is the champions of the Premier League, players that are talented and able of doing good things, so we have to prepare.
“The past of the results before, the performance of the teams, is not that important. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a very good team, that has players able of doing amazing feats, so we have to get ready, to challenge.”
The Hammers will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his suspension, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their recovery from fitness issues.
Fifth Story: Gibbs-White in Contention for Nottingham Forest against The Seagulls
Nottingham Forest's manager Sean Dyche is optimistic that Morgan Gibbs-White will be available for the side's home match against Brighton & Hove Albion on the weekend.
The English international missed Thursday's European game against Malmö due to a back injury.
“Hopefully it’s settling down,” Dyche commented as he prepared to face Fabian Hürzeler's side, who have taken seven points from their last three outings.
“It’s like a bad back, but a waking-up sort of injury, one where you just rest awkwardly or move improperly. 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 fine for the weekend.”
Murillo was experiencing discomfort in his hamstring muscle after the comfortable European win, but Dyche said the player “will likely be available”.
Meanwhile, Ola Aina (thigh injury), Douglas Luiz (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), the striker (knee), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (hip) are expected to miss out.
6. Glasner: Conference League Defeat Won't Set Back Palace
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner feels that the setback of midweek's Conference League loss to Strasbourg is a indication of how much progress the club has come in challenging on multiple fronts.
The domestic cup winners went ahead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's opening period goal but were pegged back by the opposition manager's team, who climbed to second in the table.
The Eagles now switch focus to domestic competition with a at Selhurst Park match against the Red Devils, and Glasner is confident his side can keep up their challenge for a Champions League spot.
“Maybe like the late defeat at Everton, it just feels that it was totally avoidable and it is our fault,” Glasner said. “However, 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 miss out for Sunday's match after he did not travel to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who was substituted during the first half against the opponents, is expected to be in the matchday squad.