Premier League news conferences: Slot confirms Leoni will be out for a year with ACL injury

'Leoni will be out around a year'

Crystal Palace v Liverpool (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Giovanni Leoni: "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."

'It's not easy to replace Joao Pedro'

Chelsea v Brighton (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler on what he's made of Joao Pedro's start at Chelsea: "Joao was a special player for us and it’s not easy to replace him one-to-one but we did it as team and we did it quite well.

"There's always a process, new players have to step in, new young players with big potential have to step in. They have to prove themselves every weekend that they are ready for that but they need time.

"Second thing, of course, Joao is a special player. He proved it already at Chelsea in the first [few] games. He played well. He scored goals. He's very good in position. He is a game changer for them. We have to defend as a team, as a unit. I'm sure we are capable of doing that."

'It's important to focus on our game'

Chelsea v Brighton (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler on if it will help his team if Cole Palmer is unavailable for tomorrow's match against Chelsea: "First of all we can’t influence if he’s playing or not. It's important to focus on our game and focus on how we want to play.

"If he’s starting, he’s a game changer for them [Chelsea]. He is one of the best Premier League players. He’s got a special left foot. He can decide a game in one action.

"It’s about defending as team, as a unit, but it’s not about only defending, it’s also about playing our style of play. If you go there trying only to defend you won’t have a chance."

'Guehi is 100% focused'

Crystal Palace v Liverpool (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking after Marc Guehi's failed move to Liverpool: "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."

England boss Thomas Tuchel also had his say on the situation during the international break, stating that the 25-year-old handled the situation really well: "He looks absolutely fine and impressive on the field. He has had a good couple of weeks behind him on the performance side.

"He has continued like that in camp and he handles it [his transfer situation] with respect and with a brilliant attitude."

Liverpool's Leoni faces months out with debut injury

Crystal Palace v Liverpool (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Sami Mokbel

BBC Sport Senior football correspondent

Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni faces months on the sidelines after suffering a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut.

The 18-year-old played 81 minutes of Tuesday's 2-1 Carabao Cup third-round win over Southampton before going off with the injury.

Leoni, who joined the Reds in August from Parma for a fee of £26m plus add-ons, has since had tests on his left knee.

Sources have indicated the centre-back has damaged his ACL, which would probably rule him out for most - if not all - of the rest of the season.

"I want to sincerely thank every single person who has shown me support in this difficult moment," Leoni wrote on Instagram.

"It wasn't the debut I had always dreamed of, but I will give everything to be back playing in this magical stadium as soon as possible. Thank you so much!"

Ekitike celebration 'silly' but 'refreshing' - Rooney

Wayne Rooney

Former Man Utd striker on The Wayne Rooney Show

Sometimes you have the emotion of football - sometimes when you score a goal you do get carried away and he's probably forgot he was on a yellow card I'd imagine.

But it's silly if you're on a yellow card and you take your top off. All the players know you get booked for taking your top off.

He's doing really well and it's probably a shootout for him and [Alexander] Isak to play and he's giving Isak the chance to come in and try and take his place because at the minute, he's scoring goals and he's in a good place so I'm sure he'll be devastated.

Don't you think that's refreshing?

We've criticised teams for not playing strong teams and not wanting to really compete in the League Cup. You've got a player who's playing really well, he's just come into Liverpool, scoring goals and he's showing that passion and emotion of scoring a late goal in the League Cup.

I think that's quite refreshing really, from where the Carabao Cup competitions have been in recent years.

I'm not defending it because it is silly, but I'm saying what we've seen over recent years with VAR and players scoring goals and waiting to celebrate and stuff, I think it's actually refreshing to see someone celebrating a goal.

He's been caught up in the emotion of scoring a goal and he'll probably regret it now, but I still think it's nice when you see that raw emotion when someone scores a goal.

Osula ready to seize opportunity?

Newcastle United v Arsenal (Sun, 16:30 BST)

With the summer arrivals of Yoane Wissa and record signing Nick Woltemade, William Osula almost left Newcastle over the summer.

His deadline day move to Eintracht Frankfurt collapsed at the last moment after Newcastle's Saudi owners intervened when the Bundesliga side walked back on a deal that was virtually agreed.

Despite Wissa's injury and Anthony Gordon's suspension, Osula has been limited to appearances from the bench in the Premier League - except 90 minutes in the goalless draw at Leeds United.

But after a goal against Liverpool earlier in the season, the Dane scored a brace against Bradford City in Wednesday's 4-1 win and perhaps sent a reminder to Eddie Howe of just what he can do.

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