EPL Updates: Palmer Set for Chelsea Return; Idrissa Gueye's Failed Red Card Appeal Mystery
1. Key Talent Palmer Available for Important London Derby with Arsenal
The Blues head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed on the final weekday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the squad's significant Premier League fixture against local opponents Arsenal.
The 23-year-old England midfielder was out of action due to a broken toe suffered after an accidental 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, scoring twice.
Following his transfer from Manchester 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 give him time to be completely ready,” Maresca added. “He has been brilliant historically and no doubt he is going to do exceptionally well for this club in the future.”
Second Story: The Toffees Get No Explanation for Rejected Idrissa Gueye Dismissal Challenge
The Merseyside club were unsuccessful in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for an on-field altercation with teammate Michael Keane during the team's single-goal triumph at Manchester United.
The 36-year-old Senegalese midfielder was shown a red card just early on into the contest after slapping Keane amid a disagreement over a poor pass.
The player promptly expressed regret, and the pair were seen reconciled afterwards in a mock social media video.
However, the appeal against the dismissal was rejected, and Gueye must complete a three-match suspension, leaving Everton short-staffed for their upcoming match against Newcastle.
“We lodged an appeal and it was unsuccessful,” coach the manager 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 incident, Moyes added: “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 Trains with Newcastle for First Time since Injury
Newcastle United's new signing Yoane Wissa has practiced with his new teammates for the first time since suffering a knee problem soon after his arrival from his former club in the autumn.
Head coach Eddie Howe confirmed the news on the end of the week but kept private a possible return date for the 29-year-old.
The team brought in the forward for a significant fee to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool for a record-breaking transfer fee.
Unfortunately, Wissa was hurt while on national team service before he could play his first game for Newcastle.
“He is progressing nicely, he trained with us for the first time on Wednesday, so I was very happy with how he looked,” Howe commented. “It was his initial competitive session with the team. Let’s see how he responds today.”
The manager continued: “There is a planned comeback timeline, but it’s probably best if I keep that to myself. We aim to avoid letting people down. Naturally, we want to utilize him as quickly.”
In other news, Kieran Trippier will be sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury.
4. The Reds' Slump ‘Irrelevant’, Insists Hammers Manager Nuno
The Hammers manager Nuno Espírito Santo has claimed that the reigning champions' current slump “should not be a focus” as his team gets ready to take on the struggling top-flight champions.
The Liverpool manager's team has lost six of the last seven league matches, falling out of the top 10 of the table.
However, Nuno highlighted that there can be no taking it easy when the teams clash on Sunday at the London Stadium.
“Liverpool is a good team and in football, what counts is what you do on the day,” Nuno remarked. “So what we expect is the champions of the Premier League, players that are skilled and able of doing fantastic things, so we have to be ready.
“The history 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 very good team, that has players capable of doing amazing feats, so we have to get ready, to perform.”
West Ham will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his ban, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their return from injury.
5. Morgan Gibbs-White in Contention for Nottingham Forest against The Seagulls
The club's manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Morgan Gibbs-White will be ready for the side's home match against Brighton on the weekend.
The English international missed Thursday's European match against Malmö due to a back injury.
“Fortunately, it seems to be calming down,” Dyche said as he prepared to face the Brighton manager's side, who have secured a decent haul from their last three outings.
“It’s like a bad back, but a morning sort of injury, one where you just sleep funny or move improperly. So we’re not anticipating, at this point anyway, that it’s very severe and it’s easing already. So we’re confident that it’ll be right for the weekend.”
The defender was feeling his hamstring after the comfortable European victory, but Dyche indicated the player “should be fine”.
Meanwhile, the full-back (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), the striker (knee), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (hip) are expected to be unavailable.
6. Oliver Glasner: European Defeat Will Not Set Back Palace
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner believes that the setback of midweek's Conference League defeat to the French side is a indication of how far the team has come in challenging on multiple fronts.
The FA Cup winners took the lead at Stade de la Meinau through Tyrick Mitchell's opening period goal but were equalized against by Liam Rosenior's side, who moved up to second in the table.
The Eagles now switch focus to Premier League action with a at Selhurst Park fixture against the Red Devils, and Glasner is confident his team can keep up their push for a top four place.
“Comparable to the recent setback at Goodison Park, 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 commitment was there but it is a game we could have avoided losing.”
Glasner confirmed that Borna Sosa would be absent for the weekend's match after he did not travel to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who was substituted during the first half against Strasbourg, is expected to be in the team selection.