^ ^ Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez injury update for Chelsea’s trip to Nottingham Forest

Will Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez feature at the City Ground this weekend? (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has provided an injury update on Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez before Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

The Blues are back in Premier League action this weekend following the international break, taking on Ange Postecoglou’s side at the City Ground.

Chelsea superstar Palmer has been in and out of the squad this season due to a niggling groin strain while Fernandez picked up an injury on Argentina duty, leaving their camp early with swelling in his right knee.

Maresca confirmed in late September that Palmer would be rested until after the international break to avoid surgery but reports have since suggested he could be ruled out until November.

Palmer missed England’s matches against Wales and Latvia, with Thomas Tuchel warning his injury could become ‘chronic’ if not treated properly.

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England boss Tuchel spoke with Chelsea’s medical team about Palmer and said he’d be ‘surprised’ if the player was able to feature against Forest.

Maresca was quizzed about Palmer – as well as Fernandez, who has been spotted wearing strapping on his leg – in his pre-match press conference on Friday and said: ‘I was wrong [about Palmer].

Enzo Maresca’s side beat Liverpool in their last top-flight match (Picture: Getty)

‘Unfortunately he needs to be out for six more weeks. We try to protect Cole as much as we can.

‘The most important thing is when he comes back, he is fully fit. The medical staff are not magicians.

‘We hope six weeks are enough. We need to see it step by step. For sure, he’s going to be okay.’

Cole Palmer will be ruled out for six more weeks (Picture: Getty)

On Fernandez, Maresca said he would make a late call over the midfielder after he missed training on Thursday – and the same is true for Moises Caicedo.

‘Levi [Colwill] and Liam [Delap] are still out,’ Maresca added. ‘Unfortunately Benoit [Badiashile] will be out until December, a muscle problem.

‘We are going to wait for him. Moi (Moises Caicedo), Enzo [Fernandez] and Pedro did not take part in the session yesterday.

‘We will see if they can train today. Reece [James] is okay, he is fully fit.’

Chelsea are seventh in the Premier League table heading into the clash against Forest, having beaten Liverpool 2-1 in their last top-flight game. Forest, meanwhile, are struggling under Postecoglou, who is already under significant pressure as head coach with the club 17th in the table.

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^ ^ Fulham vs Arsenal: Latest team news, predicted lineups and injuries

Fulham host the Gunners on Saturday evening (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal head to Fulham this weekend as they look to solidify their place at the summit of the Premier League.

With Liverpool suffering two Premier League defeats on the bounce against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, the Gunners finally took advantage to move top before the international break with their victory over West Ham.

With Arne Slot’s side not in action until Sunday afternoon at home to Manchester United, Arsenal have a golden opportunity to move four points clear of last season’s champions.

Mikel Arteta will be without his captain, however. Martin Odegaard is facing six weeks on the sidelines as a result of the knee injury he suffered in the win over the Hammers.

It was the third time the Norway international had been forced off in the first-half this season having also struggled with shoulder problems.

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Noni Madueke is another on the sidelines until mid-November at the earliest, recovering from a medial knee ligament injury.

Kai Havertz has not featured since the opening day of the season but the German is believed to be closing in on a return although this weekend will surely come too soon.

Hincapie was back in training this week (Picture: Getty)

Ben White was absent from training on Thursday along with Martin Zubimendi. Arteta will provide an update on the duo when he speaks to the media later this afternoon.

Piero Hincapie meanwhile was able to train this week. The Ecuador international, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer, missed Arsenal’s last five games prior to the international break.

Hincapie picked up a groin injury on his debut when he came on as a late substitute in the Gunners’ 2-0 win in the Champions League over Athletic Club but could be available for selection this weekend.

Arsenal XI to face Fulham – Metro prediction

Ethan Nwaneri might harbour hopes of replacing Odegaard in the starting XI but Mikel Merino, fresh from two more goals for Spain this week, might be the more realistic option on Saturday evening.

Fulham vs Arsenal TV channel and kick-off time

Fulham vs Arsenal takes place on Saturday 18 October with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

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^ ^ Ruben Amorim to recall Man Utd star deemed ‘not good enough’ for Liverpool clash

Amorim could make changes this weekend (Picture: Getty Images)

Ruben Amorim is considering recalling Manuel Ugarte to the starting XI for Manchester United’s trip to Liverpool this weekend.

United have a relatively clean bill of health for their trip to Merseyside with Lisandro Martinez their only notable absentee.

Players returned to training at Carrington on Thursday after the international break but four were absent after being granted an extra day of rest after their travels.

Among them was Casemiro, recalled to the Brazil team by Carlo Ancelotti in the summer. The 33-year-old racked up the air miles during the break, travelling to South Korea and Japan for friendly matches, playing the full 90 minutes in both of them.

Ugarte meanwhile was not included in what was an experimental Uruguay squad for friendlies against Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan in Malaysia.

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Back in September, Amorim opted to name Ugarte in his starting XI for the first game back following the international break against Manchester City, resting Casemiro after his international break excursions.

The Sun report Amorim could make the same move this weekend when his side head to Anfield.

Ugarte has started just three games this season (Picture: Getty Images)

Ugarte, who joined United in a £52million deal in the summer of 2024, has started just three matches this season, all ending in defeat.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star was replaced at half-time in the humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town before United lost to City in the derby in mid-September.

He returned to the starting XI against Brentford with Casemiro serving a suspension that day, replaced after 66 minutes.

Casemiro had a busy international break with Brazil (Picture: Getty)

Ugarte has been persistently preferred off the bench by Amorim ahead of Kobbie Mainoo, who is still to start a Premier League game this season – a situation that will likely continue this weekend.

The midfield combination of Bruno Fernandes and Ugarte which could start against Liverpool will be the same duo overrun at City in September with former United captain Gary Neville identifying it as a ‘massive problem’ after that 3-0 defeat at the Etihad.

‘The midfield is a massive problem, and we’ve known that,’ Neville said.

‘United fans know that. Ugarte and Fernandes today, I think you mentioned it early, about an hour before the game, that Ugarte and Fernandes played in this fixture last year from start to finish, and United won the game, but Ugarte is not good enough.’

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^ ^ Man Utd transfer deal was ’90 per cent done’ before Chelsea hijacked the move

Man Utd missed out on Liam Delap in the summer transfer window (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United’s transfer deal to sign Liam Delap was ’90 per cent done’ before Chelsea hijacked the summer move, according to reports.

The Blues recruited the 22-year-old English striker in a £30m deal from Ipswich Town in June, beating the Red Devils in the race for his signature.

After missing out on Delap, United brought in Benjamin Sesko in a £74m deal from RB Leipzig, voted by agents as the worst transfer of the summer.

But things could’ve been very different – with the Daily Mail claiming United were on the verge of signing Delap before Chelsea stepped in for him.

It’s said United were 10 per cent away from completing the deal as they missed out on the player, who is the son of former footballer Rory Delap.

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Delap, 22, shined for Ipswich in the Premier League last season, registering 12 goals and two assists across 37 top-flight matches.

The Tractor Boys were eventually relegated to the Championship, though, finishing 19th in the table at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Liam Delap joined Chelsea from Ipswich in a deal worth £30m (Picture: Getty)

Why did Liam Delap pick Chelsea over Man Utd?

Delap said his ‘hunger and desire’ to win major trophies was a significant factor in his decision to join Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

‘Growing up watching this club, I understand the stature of it and how incredible it has been over the years,’ Delap said.

Liam Delap is currently ruled out with a hamstring injury (Picture: Getty)

‘I wanted to come here to win trophies. When I spoke to the club, everyone wanted to get back to the very top, and they have the quality and the players to do that.

‘The hunger and desire to keep adding trophies, to take the club back to where it belongs, that is the main objective.’

Delap has already won the Club World Cup with Chelsea since his summer move from Ipswich.

But he’s been limited to just three Premier League appearances for the Blues after suffering a hamstring injury against Fulham in September.

Recent reports have claimed Delap could return sooner than expected and be back on the grass by the end of this month.

Once he’s back to full fitness, Delap faces a battle with fellow summer signing Joao Pedro to become Chelsea’s No.1 striker under Enzo Maresca.

But Pedro has played down competition between the duo and said: ‘I don’t want to say competition.

‘I think it is very good for Chelsea to have both strikers at a good level.’

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^ ^ Forgotten England star reveals earnings after shock move to UAE third tier

Jonjo Shelvey won six caps for England from 2012-15 (Picture: Getty Images)

It was a surprise move for Jonjo Sheley to make when he joined Arabian Falcons last month, and even more surprising as he insists it had nothing to do with money.

The six-cap England international was without a club over the summer after leaving Burnley at the end of his contract.

The 33-year-old ended a seven-year stint at Newcastle United in 2023 and went on to have short spells at Nottingham Forest, Caykur Rizespor, Eyupspor and then the Clarets last season.

He is now operating in the third tier of football in the United Arab Emirates, knows as the UAE Second Division League.

Many assumed the shock switch to Arabian Falcons was motivated by money, but Shelvey says otherwise, revealing there is not great riches to be earned at his new level of football.

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‘I’ve since seen a few things like “he’s gone there for money”. I’m thinking “what money? There’s no money in the UAE Second Division League”,’ Shelvey told the BBC.

‘The ballpark of the standard wage here is £2,000-a-month for a footballer. In terms of what I’ve earned throughout my career, that’s nothing.

Shelvey spent time in Turkey with Caykur Rizespor and Eyupspor (Picture: Getty Images)

‘My brother earns more working in a hotel in London, so it was never about coming here for the money.’

Explaining what has motivated his move to the team located in Dubai, he says it is the lifestyle available in UAE, compared to how he now sees life in the UK for him and his family.

‘I’m happy and content. I’m just at the stage now where I want to enjoy football. It’s about waking up, enjoying what I do and spending time with my family,’ he said.

@EnglishAbroad1 Jonjo missed a penalty this evening pic.twitter.com/5Wr62778B5

— There’s Always Money in the Banana Stand (@MrBananaStand) October 4, 2025

‘If I’m honest, I don’t want my children growing up in England any more. We’re very lucky that we lived in a nice part of the UK but where I’m from, originally, you can’t have nice things in my opinion.

‘I’d never wear a watch in London any more. You can’t have your phone out in London, in my view.’

He added: ‘I just feel that the UK isn’t what it was 10 to 15 years ago.’

Shelvey made 69 appearances for Liverpool (Picture: Getty Images)

There were calls for Shelvey to earn more England caps

Shelvey has earned some high praise over his career, with Paul Merson claiming that he had the best passing range in the Premier League ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

‘Shelvey deserves a chance too,’ Merson wrote in the Daily Star on the midfielder’s possible World Cup selection that year.

‘No-one else passes the ball like him. He has the best range in the league in my opinion. Even Jack Wilshere doesn’t have his passing range.’

Jonjo Shelvey Premier League stats

Apps: 278

Goals: 23

Assists: 27

The midfielder did not get the nod and admitted it was a tough watch as England went on to reach the semi-finals in Russia without him.

‘It’s hard to sit there and watch because you want your country to do well but you want to be there at the same time,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘But you’ve just got to get behind them and support them.

‘I could have brought something to the team. But I’m not going to sit here and criticise the people that played because they did fantastically well.

‘Gareth Southgate has the right to pick whoever he wants. You get people saying that England could have done with that final ball but there’s nothing you can change, you have to get on with it and hopefully be selected in the future.’

Shelvey never played for England under Gareth Southgate (Picture: Getty Images)

Why Southgate left Shelvey out

Southgate was asked about Shelvey’s omission in 2018 when he was in good form for Newcastle and said: ‘We know all of the English players in the league, we know their strengths, we know their weaknesses. We think that the players that we’ve picked are ahead of the players we haven’t.

‘I think we assess somebody on how they fit into the way we want to play, first and foremost, that has to be the opening criteria.

‘We pick on how a player fits into our system, how their style of play fits, do they have all the attributes to play in the way we want to play and is their character and personality fit into group and how we want to be as a group for the month or eight weeks we’re going to be away.’

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