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First Story: Star Player Palmer Fit for Crucial London Derby with The Gunners

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that Cole Palmer is ready to play for the squad's vital top-flight match against local opponents Arsenal.

The 23-year-old English international had been sidelined due to a broken toe sustained after an unfortunate incident.

“He is fit to begin and feature,” Maresca said. “The whole team is delighted.”

This season, Palmer has made only four appearances in all tournaments, netting two goals.

Following his transfer from City in 2023, he has recorded 45 strikes and 29 setups in 101 appearances for Chelsea.

“He is our best player, we are pleased he is back, we need to give him time to be completely ready,” Maresca noted. “He has been brilliant historically and no doubt he is going to do exceptionally well for this club in the future.”

2. Everton Get No Explanation for Rejected Idrissa Gueye Dismissal Appeal

The Merseyside club were unsuccessful in their protest against Idrissa Gueye's sending off for a physical confrontation with teammate Michael Keane during the squad's single-goal triumph at Old Trafford.

The veteran Senegal midfielder was sent off just 13 minutes into the game after hitting Keane amid a disagreement over a poor pass.

Gueye immediately apologized, and the teammates appeared reconciled later in a mock social media video.

However, the challenge against the red card was rejected, and Gueye must serve a three-match ban, leaving Everton depleted for their upcoming match against Newcastle United.

“We lodged an appeal and it was unsuccessful,” manager David Moyes stated. “We haven’t been given any reason why it was turned down but we did appeal it.”

When asked about more issues from the incident, Moyes remarked: “It was over immediately, it was done, that was it, we moved on rapidly and it was all sorted within the dressing room.”

3. Yoane Wissa Practices with Newcastle for First Time since Setback

Newcastle United's new acquisition 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.

Manager Eddie Howe confirmed the development on Friday but withheld a potential comeback timeline for the player.

Newcastle signed the striker for a significant fee to replace Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record transfer fee.

Regrettably, Wissa was hurt while on international duty before he could make his debut 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. “This marked his debut in a competitive setting with the squad. Let’s see how he reacts today.”

Howe added: “We’ve got [a return date] in mind, but it’s probably best if I keep that to myself. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. Of course, we want to include him as soon as possible.”

In other news, the defender will be out of action for a four-week period with a hamstring injury.

4. Liverpool' Slump ‘Irrelevant’, Says West Ham Manager Nuno

The Hammers manager Nuno Espírito Santo has claimed that Liverpool' current slump “should not be a focus” as his team gets ready to take on the ailing Premier League title holders.

The Liverpool manager's side has suffered six losses in seven recent league games, falling out of the top 10 of the standings.

However, Nuno emphasized that there can be no taking it easy when the sides meet on Sunday at the their home ground.

“The Reds are a strong team and in football, what matters is what you do on the day,” Nuno commented. “We anticipate facing the league champions, players that are skilled and able of doing great things, so we have to be ready.

“The past of the results before, the form 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: Morgan Gibbs-White Could Feature for Nottingham Forest against Brighton

The club's manager Sean Dyche is optimistic that Morgan Gibbs-White will be ready for the team's at home fixture against Brighton on the weekend.

The England player was absent for the midweek European game against Malmö due to a back issue.

“Hopefully it’s settling down,” Dyche stated as he got ready to face the Brighton manager's team, who have taken seven points from their past three outings.

“It’s similar to a sore back, but a morning sort of injury, one where you just sleep funny or move improperly. So we’re not anticipating, at this stage anyway, that it’s very severe and it’s improving already. So we’re hopeful that it’ll be fine for the weekend.”

Murillo was feeling his hamstring after the comfortable European win, but Dyche said the player “should be fine”.

Meanwhile, Ola Aina (thigh injury), the midfielder (thigh), the winger (hamstring), Chris Wood (knee), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (hip) are likely to miss out.

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

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner feels that the disappointment of Thursday's European defeat to the French side is a indication of how far the team has advanced in competing on two fronts.

The domestic cup holders took the lead at the away ground through Tyrick Mitchell's first-half goal but were equalized against by Liam Rosenior's team, who moved up to runner-up in the table.

Crystal Palace now return to domestic action with a at Selhurst Park match against Manchester United, and Glasner is confident his team can maintain their challenge for a top four place.

“Maybe like the late defeat at Everton, it just feels that it was totally avoidable and it is our fault,” Glasner commented. “Alternatively, we have to acknowledge it. The commitment was there but it is a game we could have avoided losing.”

Glasner confirmed that Borna Sosa would not be available for the weekend's game after he stayed behind to Strasbourg, but Will Hughes, who went off during the opening period against Strasbourg, is expected to be in the team selection.