1. Maresca: Palmer groin injury needs managing
Enzo Maresca has said Cole Palmer remains troubled by a groin problem and is still unable to play three games a week, raising fresh doubt over whether the Chelsea attacker will force his way into England’s World Cup squad.
Palmer has played twice since returning after three months out, first with a persistent groin problem and then with a broken toe, and the latest update on his fitness was less than encouraging. Maresca revealed that the 23-year‑old had a “mixed feeling” after training on Thursday, said that he was “completely bad” after making his comeback as a second-half substitute against Leeds last week and added that he is currently in the group of players whose minutes require careful management.
The comments from Chelsea’s head coach did little to boost the sense that Palmer, who was rested as a precaution against Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, will be able to build momentum in time for the World Cup. Maresca explained that it is an unpredictable situation with the playmaker, whose absence has allowed Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden and Morgan Rogers to move in front of him in the fight to earn a spot in attacking midfield for England. “Yesterday he finished the session with a mixed feeling,” Maresca said of Palmer. “Overall he was fine but still a little bit painful.”
The Italian is confident that Palmer, who is available when Chelsea host Everton on Saturday, does not need surgery to fix the longstanding groin problem and is hopeful the injury will not need managing for the rest of the season.
“It’s something that is a little bit day by day,” Maresca added. “You can see if he’s getting better, some days it can be worse. For instance after Leeds, he was completely bad the day after. And he played half an hour. After Bournemouth, he was OK. He played one hour. There’s not any sense [to it]. It’s day by day that decides how he feels.” Jacob Steinberg
2. Moyes will talk to Tarkowski about flashpoint
David Moyes has admitted James Tarkowski needs to tread more carefully with video assistant referees after barging into Dan Ndoye during Everton’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Forest have made a formal complaint to Professional Game Match Officials after Tarkowski escaped punishment for knocking down Ndoye in the 11th minute last Saturday. Speaking in the buildup to today’s match at Chelsea, Sean Dyche said he was “amazed” his former captain at Everton and Burnley was not shown a card of any description.
The referee, Chris Kavanagh, did not see the incident on-field while the VAR, James Bell, could not intervene in what might have been considered a yellow card offence.
Tarkowski has had several run‑ins with opponents this season. “I’ve not [spoken to Tarkowski] but I should do really because with the world we’re in you’ve got to be careful,” the Everton manager said. “The action in the game, I had turned away and was looking at something else but I watched it back on the telly and thought it could have been a yellow card. I didn’t think personally it was a red card but it’s the sort of thing where you don’t want to give the referees or VAR a situation where they might have a decision to make. We had just gone 1-0 up. I probably will have a word with him and just talk to him about it.”
Four wins out of five have moved Everton to within a point of Chelsea and a rare victory on Saturday – they have not won at Stamford Bridge since 1994 – would lift them into fourth place overnight. Andy Hunter
3. Arteta says Jesus will stay
Mikel Arteta has insisted Gabriel Jesus will not be sold and can be Arsenal’s first-choice No 9. Jesus made his injury comeback as a second-half substitute in the 3-0 win against Club Brugge on Wednesday after 11 months away. The Brazil international, 28, brings an extra dimension to Arteta’s frontline but he has just 18 months to run on his contract.
After splashing out £64m on Viktor Gyokeres and with Kai Havertz, albeit sidelined with a knee injury, another striking option, Arsenal could be tempted to cash in on Jesus before his deal expires. However, speaking before Arsenal’s match against Wolves at the Emirates on Saturday, Arteta said: “No, I don’t consider that [selling him], especially with the situation that we have right now.
“Gabriel has a lot to offer to the team and he’s proven that straight away in the first minute that he was available to play. He’s put so much to be in this position again and now the focus is to be with us.”
Arteta was without eight players for their midweek Champions League clash. The Spaniard would not comment on whether any of Declan Rice, who missed out on the trip to Belgium through illness, and some of the other shorter-term absentees such as William Saliba, Leandro Trossard and Jurriën Timber would be available to face Wolves. PA Media
4. Frank hopes for some Solanke ‘good news’
Thomas Frank is bored by questions about the fitness of the injured forward Dominic Solanke, but hopes for “good news” on him soon. Solanke’s fitness has been a regular topic of discussion in Tottenham head coach’s press conferences this season given the £65m striker has only made three appearances.
An ankle issue disrupted Solanke’s pre-season and Frank has been without the England international since he featured at Manchester City on 23 August, with minor surgery on 1 October unable to speed up the recovery process. Before Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, Frank returned to the subject after Solanke posted an image on Instagram that included an hourglass emoji to hint he may return soon.
Frank said: “When he is training fully with the team and is available for selection that’s when I will say something. Hopefully there will be lots of footage of him training but yeah, that is my message.” Pressed further on Solanke given the lack of information around him in recent weeks, Frank provided a number of polite one-word answers that confirmed the 28-year-old is training individually and back on the grass.
Pushed further on if he had kicked a ball yet, Frank said with a smile: “I’m happy to answer all these questions. I’m just a little bit bored of it because let’s talk about Forest, it’s much more interesting.” PA Media
5. Bowen crucial to Nuno’s escape plan
Nuno Espírito Santo is hopeful a fit Jarrod Bowen can help propel his team away from the Premier League relegation zone. Bowen has been the Hammers’ best player of a tough season so far and scored a brilliant goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton. Nuno’s team are in the relegation zone and two points adrift of the last safe spot before Sunday’s game at home to Aston Villa.
“I hope he can be involved in every minute because what he gives to the team is huge,” said Nuno of Bowen. “He leads by example, but if the situation comes [that he is injured], I have a group of players who I believe can contribute in the aspect of leadership.”
Nuno said he was hoping for an improve defensive showing for the visit of Unai Emery’s team. With 29 goals conceded, West Ham have the joint-third worst defensive record in the league. “We haven’t achieved a clean sheet yet,” said Nuno. “That is something we need to do. There is improvement. But not total improvement.” PA Media
6. Forest double down on Aina’s availability
Nottingham Forest are standing firm in their stance that Ola Aina was not fit enough to go to the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria. The right-back has not played since suffering a serious thigh injury in a World Cup qualifier for his country in September. He is nearing a return to fitness after surgery and the Nigeria Football Federation repeatedly asked Forest whether he was fit enough to be included in their squad for the tournament in Morocco.
However, Forest insisted the player would not be able to go and he was subsequently left out of the Super Eagles squad. Sean Dyche said: “It’s just that he’s not fit. He hasn’t been fit, he’s still not fit. He hasn’t played any football yet. So, that’s all we can offer to that situation, that he’s still not fit. We’ve made that very clear.”
Forest will lose Ibrahim Sangaré to the competition, though, as he has been named in the Côte d’Ivoire squad. “He’s done well since we got to the club and he’s kind of earned his place back into the side because when we came in it was like a fresh set of eyes for me and my staff,” Dyche added. “That’s the way it goes, these are the sort of challenges we’ve got as a club.” PA Media