Julen Lopetegui sends 'problem' West Ham injury update as Fabrizio Romano makes Man Utd contract claim

Another thrilling weekend of Premier League action lies in wait, with plenty of exciting fixtures on the docket, including the early title showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City on Sunday.

We also have an all-London clash between West Ham United and Chelsea, and a number of clubs have already been in Carabao Cup action this week. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding all the Premier League clubs.

West Ham injury update

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has issued an injury update on Niclas Fullkrug and Emerson Palmieri ahead of Saturday’s clash with Chelsea, with both players facing a race against time to be fit.

“Fortunately, it wasn’t a big knock for Emerson,” said the Spaniard. “It’s still Thursday and so 48 hours or so before the match, so there is still time where we need to review things. We will evaluate him again tomorrow [Friday] and see where we are.”

He added on Fullkrug: “We are trying to recover all the players, and we have to wait until the day before the game to know more about all of them. That includes Niclas. He has had a different kind of problem to Emerson, and really we just have to wait until Friday to know what is going to happen.”

Man Utd contract claim

Manchester United are said to be ramping up contract talks with talented young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has had a huge impact under Erik ten Hag over the last 12 months. As things stand, the England international is under contract until 2027 with the club holding an option of a one-year extension.

But according to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, United are hoping to reward Mainoo with a new deal to make sure his importance is reflected in his pay packet. The deal should almost keep Mainoo out of reach for other clubs who may look to exploit his current pay terms.

Yakubu’s message to Everton

Former Everton striker Yakubu believes the club should avoid even contemplating relegation despite a disastrous start to the new Premier League campaign.

“We are not sinking; we are just struggling,” he told SportsBoom. “We are in a tight position now, we have played four matches and have all lost all, but I think they will bounce back. We can’t start thinking about relegation now and it would be unfair to write us off this so early.”