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Welcome to our Friday live blog. We’ll bring you all the updates from today’s manager press conferences including Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca, Ange Postecoglou and Arne Slot.
“He’s a massive player for us. He’s shown that week in week out. They way he came back post-holidays was probably the best condition that he’s been. Now it’s about managing him and he’s done really well.”
“Zinchenko probably after the international break. Martin Odegaard is very difficult. He’s working so hard and he’s pushing.”
He says he will make a late decision on Timber, Tomiyasu and White.
Aaron Ramsdale returns to the Emirates tomorrow with Southampton. Arteta: “He’s a player we loved a lot. He really put his fingerprints here at the club. It will be good to see him.”
Guardiola’s full pre-match press conference…
Maresca on Chelsea being more settled this season: “Results help. The only part I can control is the football side. All the noise around the club is something I cannot control. I don’t know if it is real noise or not. I don’t care, to be honest.”
Maresca says Carney Chukwuemeka missed the win over Gent through illness. “Everyone else is available apart from Reece James.”
Enzo Maresca says he does not think Chelsea can challenge the likes of Man City and Arsenal this season. “City is working with the same manager for nine years, Arsenal is working with the same manager for five years.”
Watch his full press conference:
“I’m part of this club, deep inside of my bones and the best way to defend the club is winning games and doing my job as best as possible. We cannot misunderstand why I am here, I am the manager, the person at the club who talks more through all the media, to send messages to fans.
“And, of course I am going to defend my club, I trust [them], since the owner, since the chairman for the relation, the CEO, and all the people working here, for many many years. I know them quite well, much more than any of you. The best way to defend is by doing our job the best, everyone working here have their own responsibility.”
“I’m not going to talk about this subject. What is going to happen is going to happen…”
Guardiola is holding his pre-match press conference right now. On injuries, he says: “Except Nathan [Ake], Kevin [De Bruyne], and of course, Rodri, and Oscar [Bobb], the rest are fine…”
The Spurs boss on Heung-Min Son, his 50th game in charge and helping Fabian Hurzeler…
Postecoglou on Spurs’ fitness: “Fairly tired but physically no issues from last night’s game. Destiny we think will be okay, training today and tomorrow. Sonny is unlikely, he’s pushing hard but it is too soon.”
Ange Postecoglou praises Dominic Solanke for his hard work which has resulted in an England recall.
“I don’t know about surprised, with Dom he’s had to work awfully hard in his career. It’s important to all young players that the trajectory doesn’t always go in a linear fashion. He was at big clubs, didn’t get started but didn’t deter him went to Bournemouth and did well.”
Newcastle will still be without Alexander Isak for tomorrow’s game against Everton, Eddie Howe has confirmed.
“No unfortunately he [Isak] wont make the game, we are hoping he’ll be back with Callum [Wilson] for the game after the international break. Nick Pope and Fabian Shar should be okay and we also hope that Kieran Trippier will be available this weekend.”
Slot on Gravenberch’s form: “He’s already played more 90 minute games this season than the last two seasons. Interesting to see how he copes.”
Slot on Trent/VVD/Salah contract situations: “It’s the same boring answer as always. I could understand if you ask me once every two weeks, but every two or three days people think I’ll be boring! International break is coming up, try after that.”
Our reporter Nazira Yusuf is at Arne Slot’s press conference this morning. On the fitness of Federico Chiesa, he says: “We’ll wait and see. He hasn’t trained in the last few days. He came in today to see if he could train and even if he can, I have a decision to make.”
