Premier League news: Howe vows to ‘fight harder than ever’; Slot banks on Isak return

2. Isak return could ease pain of Ekitike loss, believes Slot

Alexander Isak’s return from injury could soften the blow of top scorer Hugo Ekitike’s long-term absence, Arne Slot said before his Liverpool side’s meeting with Everton.

Ekitike was forced off during Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday after slipping on the turf and rupturing his Achilles tendon. Liverpool signed Isak from Newcastle for a record £125m and Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for up to £69m in the same transfer window last year.

Slot believes that it was a good decision to sign two central strikers. “We thought it was smart not to be the only club to have one No 9,” he said. “Someone said to me that you cannot write the script that on the day Isak is back after four months on his first start the other [Ekitike] leaves the pitch with a long-term injury.“

Liverpool confirmed on Thursday that France international Ekitike will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup. “He hasn’t been operated on yet. It’s devastating for him coming to a new club and having an impact,” Slot said. “My first thoughts are with him being out for such a long time and missing out on special moments. He’s not the first or last to experience this.

Arne Slot reacts during Liverpool’s Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain that saw a season-ending injury to Hugo Ekitike. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

“There are so many examples of players that came back even stronger - that’s his challenge. He could be one of those in 10 to 15 years’ time that will say the injury made him stronger and to perform at an even higher level than before.“

Slot added that Isak was not ready to play 90 minutes yet, saying the club still had options with the likes of Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo. Reuters

3. De Zerbi says dinners are for winners as Spurs seek taste of victory

Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed Cristian Romero will not play again this season, but he remains positive the club can stay up and promised more dinners out if they beat Brighton. The Tottenham captain suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Sunderland, De Zerbi’s debut fixture in charge of Spurs, and the defender will miss the final six games of a disastrous Premier League campaign.

Tottenham have spent the past week in the relegation zone and De Zerbi took his 18th-placed squad out for a team-bonding meal in Mayfair before Saturday’s visit of his former club Brighton. “Yes, I don’t know if we win the game for dinner. I know we eat very well. The food was amazing and if we win, I am ready to pay every week for one dinner,” De Zerbi smiled.

“We have to build and find in these last weeks the best relationship we can find, and I want to see on the pitch players helping their teammates and pushing everybody for one target and to achieve our big, big target for us. If we don’t achieve our target, everybody will lose something in their career.

Spurs captain Cristian Romero will miss the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury in last Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Sunderland. Photograph: Simon Davies/ProSports/Shutterstock

“I am positive, I am ready to fight and I believe to keep Premier League [status]. I believe in my words that I said last week. The focus is to win one game. Yes, I think it is crucial to win a game not just for the table. Of course one part of the table for sure, but we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what it can do. I have no doubts about the quality of the players.”

De Zerbi declined to confirm who would take the captain’s armband in the absence of Romero, but revealed Rodrigo Bentancur was available for Saturday’s critical fixture after a three-month lay-off with a hamstring injury. Yves Bissouma is “100% fit” after being an unused substitute at Sunderland but first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is still not ready for action after he had minor hernia surgery last month. PA Media

4. Iraola says exit decision ‘not about any other club’

Andoni Iraola insists his decision to leave Bournemouth was “not about any other club”. The 43-year-old Spaniard’s impending departure was announced on Tuesday following three years with the south coast side. His contract was set to expire in the summer and, following reports linking him with other clubs including Athletic Bilbao, Iraola revealed he does not know what his next move will be.

“The decision was not about any other club. There has been no other club involved, it was about continuing here or not continuing here,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do next season. I don’t know if I’m going to coach a team, a club, coach a national team, coach in this continent, I’m not going to coach. I have no idea what’s going to happen.

“I don’t have any rush to know it. I’ve taken a big decision for me now in this moment. Now I want to focus on what will happen in these six games. It’ll be massive for us. There’s going to be time to think, if we have to think, on something else.”

Andoni Iraola insists he does not know where he will be coaching next season after deciding to leave Bournemouth at the end of the campaign. Photograph: Robin Jones/AFC Bournemouth/Getty Images

Andoni steered the Cherries to a ninth-placed Premier League finish last season and they are currently 11th with six games left in this campaign. Speaking before Saturday’s trip to Newcastle, Iraola added: “It has been a decision that has taken me a lot of time to take, it hasn’t been a clear decision. Always during this process, this season, I’ve been talking to the club about the situations, they were very aware this could happen.

“There is not always one main reason. The decision I’ve taken is because probably I don’t want to risk the feeling I have right now of satisfaction of these three seasons. You try to envision yourself in a possible fourth season, a possible fifth season and everything costs more. We as human beings get tired of watching the same phases. I suppose I decided this was the right moment to put an end to this journey that for me has been really special.” PA Media

5. Glasner pledges total commitment to the very end

Oliver Glasner insists he has had no trouble maintaining “100% commitment” to Crystal Palace as he approaches the end of his tenure in south London. In January, the Eagles manager announced his intention to move on when his contract expires at the conclusion of the current campaign.

The 51-year-old Austrian led Palace to their first major trophy when they lifted the FA Cup in 2025 and could be on course to guide them to another after they reached the Conference League semi-finals on Thursday night.

Oliver Glasner is determined to give 100% effort to Crystal Palace before his summer exit. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock

“For me it’s easy because I’m doing this job, because I’m loving this job and then it’s always 100%,” Glasner told Sky Sports. “As soon as I feel I can just give 99%, I would leave and then maybe retire or whatever. I think this is what every player, every fan, and everybody, every employee of Crystal Palace deserves, that the manager, that I give 100%. That’s what I am always doing and so that is really easy for me.”

Glasner gave Palace the night off in Florence to celebrate after reaching the Conference League last four. They next face relegation-battling West Ham in the Premier League at Selhurst Park on Monday night. PA Media