Football news: Slot blames ‘crazy schedule’ for Alisson absence; Livramento blow for Howe

3. Guardiola won’t risk Rodri for semi-final

Rodri will not play in Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton on Saturday. The Spanish midfielder missed City’s victory at Burnley on Wednesday after being forced off late in the previous game against Arsenal with a groin problem. With City chasing the Premier League title, manager Pep Guardiola is unwilling to take a chance on the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner at Wembley.

The issue is the latest in a series of setbacks to have beset the 29-year-old since he suffered a serious knee injury early last season and the focus is on proving his fitness for the trip to Everton on 4 May. Guardiola said: “We don’t want to take a risk. I don’t know yet [for Everton] – hopefully, but we don’t want to take a risk because we could lose him for the next five games.”

Defenders Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are also sidelined but Guardiola is otherwise encouraged by the options available to him.

City are appearing in the last four of the FA Cup for a record-extending eighth straight year and have the chance to reach the final for the fourth year in succession. They will be strong favourites against Championship side Southampton but Guardiola is taking nothing for granted. He said: “To be able to knock out Fulham and Arsenal speaks for itself. They have good rhythm. We just focus on the game tomorrow, what we have to do with the selection, for the spirit and how we recover the players from these two demanding games. A semi-final is tough.” PA Media

4. Branthwaite’s latest injury troubles Moyes

David Moyes has said Everton are worried about Jarrad Branthwaite’s hamstring issues after the defender was ruled out for the rest of the season with the injury he sustained against Liverpool.

Branthwaite’s slim hopes of gatecrashing England’s World Cup squad are also over having been taken off on a stretcher in tears in the 87th minute of the derby defeat. The defender missed the first half of this season with a hamstring problem that eventually required surgery. While the latest setback is to a different issue and he does not need an operation, Moyes admits Branthwaite’s record is a concern.

The Everton manager, who expects the centre-half to be fit for the start of next season, said: “Jarrad is feeling much better because he’s realised it isn’t an injury to the same area as the hamstring operation, it’s in a different spot. It’s like a hamstring injury that any player could get when you could be out for six weeks or so. We hope he gets back. You see the shape of him, and speed is a big part of his game, and when you’re getting to that level I think there probably is a bigger chance of getting hamstring injuries. We feel for him because he played really well in the game.

“I hope it’s not [a risk in the future]. I don’t want to say it’s growing pains because it’s far from that, he’s a grown man now, but I think he’s still learning more about himself and what he does. But ultimately he’s had a couple of hamstrings now and we’re worried about it.”

Jarrad Branthwaite receives medical attention after sustaining an injury during the Merseyside derby. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Moyes will take charge of his 750th game in the Premier League when he returns to former club West Ham on Saturday. The Scot admits Everton are “bubbling away” with anger over their 100th-minute defeat in the derby but, with Beto missing due to concussion protocols, accepts it will not be easy to vent that frustration against the relegation-threatened Hammers.

“They are fighting for everything,” added Moyes. “West Ham is a really good football club that shouldn’t be going into the Championship, but the Premier League is unforgiving and if you’re not quite at it, you don’t recruit right or spend enough, you can find yourself in that position. Chopping and changing managers doesn’t help either. Clubs need to look at themselves a bit to see if they can do a better job.” Andy Hunter

5. Nuno plots surprise for returning Everton manager

Nuno Espírito Santo plans a few surprises for David Moyes when the former West Ham manager brings Everton to the London Stadium. The Hammers need a win against their two-time former manager to ensure they stay out of the relegation zone. But Nuno, who has previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, knows the advantages of facing a former club.

“It’s not just another game, basically because we’ve been in these clubs. I speak for myself,” he said. “The advantage is that you know the players. You sometimes know the routines. In this case, David knows the routines and knows the players. So we have to try and make new things happen so we don’t become so predictable. But it’s not just another game. It’s always a special game due to respect and love that you have from former clubs. But you want to win. You want to compete and win.” PA Media