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First Story: Star Player Palmer Ready for Crucial Capital Derby with The Gunners

The Blues head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that Cole Palmer is set to return for the squad's vital Premier League fixture against London rivals Arsenal.

The young English midfielder had been sidelined due to a fractured toe suffered after an unfortunate occurrence.

“He is ready to start and participate,” Maresca declared. “Everyone is happy.”

In the current campaign, Palmer has been limited to four outings across all competitions, finding the net on two occasions.

Following his transfer from Manchester City in 2023, he has notched 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 matches for Chelsea.

“He is our best player, we are happy he is back, we need to give him time to be fully fit,” Maresca noted. “His past performances have been excellent and no doubt he is going to do very good for this club in the future.”

2. The Toffees Get No Reason for Rejected Idrissa Gueye Dismissal Appeal

Everton have failed in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for an on-field altercation with fellow player Michael Keane during the squad's 1-0 victory at Manchester United.

The veteran Senegal player was dismissed just 13 minutes into the game after striking Keane during a argument over a poor pass.

The player immediately apologized, and the pair were seen reconciled later in a light-hearted online post.

However, the appeal against the red card was rejected, and Gueye must serve a three-game suspension, making Everton short-staffed for their upcoming fixture against Newcastle.

“We challenged the decision and it was rejected,” manager the manager revealed. “We haven’t been given any reason why it was turned down but we did appeal it.”

Inquired about any further fallout from the incident, 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. Wissa Practices with Newcastle for Initial Session since Setback

Newcastle United's new signing Yoane Wissa has trained with his new teammates for the first time since sustaining a knee problem shortly after his arrival from his former club in September.

Manager Eddie Howe announced the news on Friday but did not disclose a potential return date for the 29-year-old.

The team signed the forward for a significant fee to fill the void left by Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record transfer fee.

Unfortunately, Wissa was hurt while on international service before he could play his first game for Newcastle.

“His recovery is going smoothly, he trained with us for the first time on Wednesday, so I was extremely satisfied with how he looked,” Howe said. “It was his initial competitive session with the team. Let’s see how he reacts today.”

Howe continued: “We’ve got [a return date] in mind, but it’s probably best if I do not share it publicly. We aim to avoid letting people down. Naturally, we want to involve him as promptly.”

In other news, Kieran Trippier will be out of action for a month with a hamstring issue.

4. The Reds' Poor Form ‘Doesn’t Matter’, Says West Ham Manager Nuno

West Ham United head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Liverpool' recent poor form “doesn’t really matter” as his side gets ready to take on the ailing top-flight champions.

The Liverpool manager's team has been defeated in six of their previous seven Premier League games, falling out of the upper half of the standings.

Nevertheless, Nuno stressed that there can be no taking it easy when the sides clash on Sunday at the London Stadium.

“The Reds are a strong 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 able of doing fantastic things, so we have to prepare.

“The past of the outcomes before, the form of the teams, is largely insignificant. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a very good team, that has players capable of doing wonderful things, so we have to prepare thoroughly, to perform.”

West Ham will welcome back Lucas Paquetá after his suspension, while Crysencio Summerville and Dinos Mavropanos are stepping up their return from fitness issues.

5. Morgan Gibbs-White Could Feature for Nottingham Forest against Brighton

The club's manager Sean Dyche is hopeful that Morgan Gibbs-White will be available for the side's home fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

The English player missed the midweek Europa League game against Malmö due to a back injury.

“Fortunately, it seems to be calming down,” Dyche commented as he prepared to face Fabian Hürzeler's side, who have taken seven points from their past 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 anticipating, at this point anyway, that it’s too serious and it’s settling down already. So we’re hopeful that it’ll be okay for the weekend.”

Murillo was feeling his hamstring after the comfortable Europa League victory, but Dyche said the player “will likely be available”.

However, Ola Aina (thigh injury), Douglas Luiz (thigh), Dilane Bakwa (hamstring), the striker (knee), and the defender (hip) are expected to miss out.

6. Oliver Glasner: Conference League Loss Will Not Set Back Crystal Palace

The Eagles manager Oliver Glasner believes that the disappointment of Thursday's European loss to the French side is a indication of how far the team has come in challenging on two fronts.

The FA Cup winners 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 second in the table.

Crystal Palace now switch focus to domestic competition with a home fixture against the Red Devils, and Glasner is optimistic his side can keep up their challenge for a Champions League place.

“Comparable to the recent setback at Goodison Park, it just feels that it was completely unnecessary and it is our fault,” Glasner remarked. “However, we have to acknowledge it. The commitment was there but it is a game we could have avoided losing.”

Glasner stated that Borna Sosa would be absent for Sunday's match after he did not travel to France, but Will Hughes, who went off during the opening period against the opponents, should be in the team selection.