It’s the final Premier League gameweek before the international break, and managers up and down the country will be speaking to the press.
Daily Mail Sport will bring you all the key news here…
Enzo Maresca has not felt the need to dissect Gianluigi Donnarumma’s troubling form with Manchester City‘s No 1 amid a number of high-profile errors.
Donnarumma was flat-footed in being beaten at his near post during Wednesday’s Champions League win at RB Leipzig, following mistakes against Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.
City’s manager does not see the value in raking over the issues with his goalkeeper and believes the Italian’s confidence is still high.
‘He’s good, overall he’s good,’ Maresca said of Donnarumma’s mood. ‘He’s quite relaxed, in terms of recognising that he has done some mistakes but has made some good saves.
Enzo Maresca has not felt the need to dissect Gianluigi Donnarumma’s troubling form
‘There are players that when they make mistakes you need conversation with them, and there are players that when they make some mistake you just need eye contact to understand that he recognises.
‘With Gigio it’s quite easy because every time he has made some mistake or something that was not correct, he recognises immediately. Sometimes you don’t need to be so deep with some players.’
Meanwhile, Maresca insisted that Elliot Anderson has another level to reach after an encouraging start to his City career.
The £116million summer signing goes back to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with Maresca claiming that Oliver Glasner’s side are in a false position.
‘Elliot can do many [more] things, but he knows that,’ Maresca added. ‘We had a conversation before the last Champions League game, a nice conversation on understanding the game and slowly he is getting better and better.
‘Elliot in this moment is playing more as the holding midfielder, but in future he can also play a little bit more up front.’
By Jack Gaughan
Arbeloa: Special moment for King
Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has backed Josh King to make the most of his ‘special moment’ after being called up to the England squad for the first time.
The 19-year-old has been selected by Thomas Tuchel for the upcoming Nations League games, having continued to impress this season after being part of England’s pre-World Cup camp.
‘It is a special moment for him and also for us as a club and our supporters. I think Josh is the pride of our club and supporters,’ Arbeloa said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Newcastle.
‘He came to this club when he was eight and now you look at how he is playing and performing, so we are really proud of him. It is a big step for him and I am so happy for him because he is a very humble kid. You can see every day he wants to improve, to work and become a better player.’
King will again be central to Fulham’s gameplan when Arbeloa’s side take on Newcastle looking to build some momentum following last weekend’s battling 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
‘For me, he is a very talented player. He can receive between the lines where there is no space,’ Arbeloa said. ‘He can drive, he can run, he can dribble with the ball, so he has everything, and we are working with him about his finishing.
‘Obviously he needs to improve there and it is the most difficult thing in football, scoring goals, but his mentality, his character, he is a very mature player. You can’t forget that he is just 19 years old, so it is unbelievable how he is performing. I think he has everything to become one of the best players in the world.’
After losing their last home game 1-0 to strugglers Crystal Palace, Arbeloa is expecting a response back at Craven Cottage. ‘We know how difficult it will be to beat Newcastle tomorrow, they are a very good team, but we are playing well,’ said the Fulham boss, who will be without defender Timothy Castagne because of a knee issue.
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