Clarified
Forgotten Arsenal man Fabio Vieira was mysteriously dropped from the Porto squad for their most recent game.
The 24-year-old is on loan at the Portuguese club for the 2024/25 season.
Vieira had started the last five matches for Porto, but was surprisingly absent from the squad that won 5-0 over Boavista.
This led to speculation that he would be recalled by Arsenal, however manager Vitor Bruno dismissed those claims.
Speaking to the media, Bruno said: “I have to make decisions, pay close attention to the players’ performance and how they view their day-to-day activities.
“Fabio is very talented but talent has to be based on a series of pre-conditions. And when one or two of them end up falling apart, it makes everything more difficult.
“He has immense potential and I have a large squad that offers me guarantees, I cannot give up on certain principles that are mine.
“I don’t need to pass on any message. Fabio knows me well and we are counting on him. He will be available to play again next week. So it is a question of making decisions.”
Vieira is not expected to be recalled by Arsenal
Mammoth fee
Newcastle will demand a Premier League record fee for Alexander Isak, according to reports.
The Telegraph claim the Magpies will only allow their star striker to leave in January if a rival bids in excess of £150million.
This would smash current Premier League record of £115m, that Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo.
Isak has 11 Premier League goals in 16 games this season.
Saka surgery
In case you missed it, here are Mikel Arteta’s full comments on Bukayo Saka’s surgery and potential time on the sidelines.
Saka suffered a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace and played no part in Arsenal’s win over Ipswich yesterday evening.
“He has had a procedure and everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks,” the Gunners manager said.
Going into more detail on his expected spell out, Arteta continued: “It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer.
“It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It is very difficult to say.”
He added: “The replacement of Bukayo is going to be the team.
“There were moments where it flowed well tonight and moments where you could see there is still work to do. But I am certain that we are going to do that.
“We have to rely on the team and not the individual.”
Not giving up
Man City boss Pep Guardiola is not planning to give up as his side continue to go through a rough patch.
The reigning Premier League champions have only won one game in their last 13 in all competitions.
And a draw against Everton maintained that streak last time out.
But ahead of a trip to Leicester tomorrow, Guardiola remains fully focused on turning things around.
“I will try, I will keep going,” he said. “I will not give up.
“I want to be here. I want to do it and, with the situation that we have, we have to do it.
“Of course I want it [to end the bad run], everyone wants it. I don’t want to disappoint my people in terms of the club, the fans, the people who love this club.
“I think all of us in our job want to do it well and please the people. That is undeniable, not a question mark.
“The biggest test is to come back again, but we have done that before.”
‘It was like he was built in a lab’
Declan Rice can’t believe how good teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly is.
The Hale End Academy product has taken his opportunity after a few defensive injuries, starting the last two games.
And he was named Man of the Match against Ipswich yesterday for his performance at left-back.
Rice then spoke incrediblty highely off his teammate Lewis-Skelly after the game at the Emirates, saying: “He can go to the top.
“This kid is just special, very special. For an 18-year-old to be that good, that comfortable, that strong, it was like he was built in a lab.
“I said that to him the other day. It’s just ridiculous how good he is, but he has a long way to go. He’s so level-headed, he’s got a great family around him.
“We have a really good crop of youngsters coming through and he can be what he wants to be, he just needs to stay focused and always want more and he can do that.”
