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News and comment heading into the weekend’s action Read Football Daily | Mail John Professional Footballers’ Association statement on the death of Billy Vigar. Clearly there needs to be a formal investigation into the incident that has led to Billy Vigar’s tragic death, and it is right that this is allowed to take place so that the full circumstances can be properly established. All of our thoughts right now are with Billy’s family and friends, and providing whatever support we can to them. “When the time is right, we will offer any assistance we can as part of any investigation process, specifically information that may be helpful regarding the safety of players in grounds. That includes sharing concerns we have raised previously around incidents where PFA members have been seriously injured in collisions with perimeter walls and fences, such as that involving Alex Fletcher at Bath City. All footballers should expect to be safe when they go out to play or train, and to not be put at unnecessary and avoidable risk by factors beyond their control. When we previously highlighted potential safety issues in grounds and stadiums, the Sports Minister and I wrote to all the football authorities to urge them to be proactive on this and to make sure all their rules and regulations around player safety were fit for purpose. Again, whilst it is important that a proper investigation is allowed to conclude, we have to ensure that opportunities to make grounds safer for players have not been missed and that players don’t feel that serious incidents involving their safety are necessary to prompt change. Big injury news out of Chelsea on Cole Palmer, who was forced out of their defeat at Manchester United last Saturday with a recurrence of a groin problem. The manager, Enzo Maresca, says he is out until after the international break, with the club hoping that rest rather than surgery will be the cure. Palmer, remember, had to pull out of Chelsea’s game at West Ham at the start of the season with the same issue. He will miss three matches for Chelsea before the international break – Brighton, Benfica and Liverpool, all of which are at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca said: “We decided to protect Cole a little bit so that his injury didn’t get worst. We decided to rest him for the next two to three weeks, until the international break. I don’t think he needs surgery. He just needs to manage pain in his groin. This is why we are being conservative with him, to give him rest. Hopefully he can be 100 per cent fit after the international break. ” Arne Slot on Leoni being replaced by Chiesa in the Champions League squad. “We have looked into this. I cannot tell you exactly where this process is at the moment. It is not something I do myself. If I am informed correctly, if a player has an injury for longer than two months then you are able to replace him - now we have to see if it’s true or not but other people are looking into that. ” Eddie Howe has been talking about social media, after teenager Lewis Miley came under attack. He gave up on using it when still a player. “It was a very short experience for me, but an important one, I think, that I felt that now I’m in these shoes, I can totally sympathise with the players and try and help them and understand their feelings. ” “Lewie and all the players, unfortunately, have to deal with this world that is there. If you open yourself up to it and absorb it, then it can affect you. Lewie is very mature for his age and he is strong mentally, but it’s our job to protect all the players, protect their own thoughts and their own views on themselves. That’s so important they protect their own confidence when they enter the pitch and they blank out all the noise. ” Jacob Ramsey’s short Newcastle career has been interrupted by injury and he’s out until next month. Eddie Howe: “His recovery is going well and he is on the grass working hard and building his fitness back up. The plan was that he would [be back] for the first game after the international break ahead of us and if it is any earlier than that then of course he is ahead of schedule. ” Some Russell Martin press conference quotes after Rangers’ latest defeat came to Genk. I’m frustrated. The red card changed a lot, but I’m proud of the players in the second half. I asked them to be really aggressive after the sending off, not just try and defend for 45 minutes. Genk didn’t cut us open, we weren’t defending relentlessly. The longer the game goes on, if we actually dominate the ball, we create a lot more. We’ll get there. We had 10 men for a long time, I think Jack [Butland] only had two saves to make in the second half. I thought we had some really good performances. The US president said he was going to make sure San Francisco and Seattle were “safe”, adding that the cities were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they’re doing”. Seattle’s Lumen Field is set to host six matches at the finals, with Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara – an hour away from San Francisco – due to host a further six. Exclusive story from Matt Hughes: A club guilty of breaching SCR by 30% would be docked six points. Extra points could be deducted on a sliding scale for more serious breaches of the spending cap, which would restrict spending on transfers, player wages and agent fees to 85% of revenue. Smaller breaches would be punished by a financial levy tied to the percentage of the overspend. The Premier League declined to comment. That Leoni injury can only heighten speculation that Marc Guehi will be joining Liverpool in January. The Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, has been talking about his captain: “It is credit to Marc that he never threatened to strike. He is a very honest person. That is why I was never worried about this situation. He will be our captain as long as he’s here, because he’s just such a great player and such a great personality. “Everybody could see how he played for England, that he’s 100% focused, the same here. It was written [in the media], that he steps back as our captain. Nothing true. ” Terence Doyle pays tribute to a rare talent at Bournemouth, a club that has space for such a maverick. Alessia Russo might have lost out to her but Aitana Bonmati is a historic great in the women’s game. That Leoni injury means Federico Chiesa will take the place of his compatriot in the Champions League squad. Per PA Media Inter Miami’s former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets has announced he will retire at the end of the Major League Soccer season. The 37-year-old made 722 appearances for Barca between 2008 and 2023, winning nine La Liga titles and the Champions League on three occasions. At international level, he was capped 143 times and played a key role as Spain won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. He moved to the MLS two years ago and has made 105 appearances for Miami, playing alongside former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. “These will be my last months on the pitch. I’m retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all grateful, ” Busquets said in a video on his Instagram page. “A heartfelt thank you to everyone and to football for everything. You will always be a part of this beautiful story. ” Disaster for Liverpool’s summer signing, Giovanni Leoni, so promising on debut against Southampton. The anterior cruciate ligament injury feared when he was carried off has been confirmed. Liverpool manager Arne Slot this morning: “He is not in a good place because he tore his ACL which means he will be out around a year. Being so young and coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game, it’s very hard to take the positives. There is never a positive side but you try to look at that and that is that he is still so young and he has so many years still go to after he recovers from a terrible injury. ” Europa League fall-out: relief for Aston Villa, more gloom for Rangers. Let’s begin in the usual way, with 10 things to look out for this weekend. Weekend’s Premier League fixtures: Saturday (3pm unless stated) Brentford v. Man Utd (12. 30pm) Chelsea v. Brighton Crystal Palace v. Liverpool Leeds v. AFC Bournemouth Man City v. Burnley Nottm Forest v. Sunderland (5. 30pm) Tottenham Hotspur v. Wolverhampton (8pm) Sunday Aston Villa v Fulham (2pm) Newcastle v Arsenal (4. 30pm) Monday Everton v West Ham (8pm) Good morning from London, where we ready ourselves for another weekend of domestic action, and hear the fallout from last night’s Europa League. Team news and managers’ press conferences to follow, and the latest breaking news. You know the drill by now. Join us.