Premier League Weekend Fixtures: Forest Hand Debut to Sels, Chelsea Include Nkunku

In the latest Premier League fixtures, Nottingham Forest has handed their new signing Matz Sels an immediate debut against Bournemouth. Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has made six changes to the starting lineup compared to their last game against Arsenal. Sels, who was signed for €6m from Strasbourg, is the only one of the three new faces to start. Meanwhile, Gio Reyna and Rodrigo Ribeiro, signed on loan from Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Lisbon respectively, have been included on the bench. Forest’s other two senior keepers, Matt Turner and Odi Vlachodimos, are also on the bench. Taiwo Awoniyi, who has been recovering from a groin injury, makes his first start since November, filling in for Chris Wood who is out with a hamstring problem.

nn

On the other hand, Christopher Nkunku has been named in Chelsea’s starting lineup for today’s game against Wolves. Nkunku, who scored a goal coming off the bench during Chelsea’s recent 4-1 loss to Liverpool, has been given the opportunity to shine from the start. Malo Gusto, who also came on as a substitute in that match, will also be starting against Wolves. Nicolas Jackson, who missed the last six matches due to the Africa Cup of Nations, returns to the substitutes’ bench. Benoit Badiashile and Mykhailo Mudryk are among the other players on the bench.

nn

Today’s Premier League games feature exciting matchups across Europe. In Serie A, Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies faces a spell on the sidelines after sustaining a ligament strain in his left knee during their victory against Borussia Monchengladbach. This injury comes at a crucial time for Bayern as they face Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Lazio in the Champions League within the next 10 days.

nn

Meanwhile, in La Liga, Barcelona’s Vitor Roque was sent off during their 3-1 win over Alaves. Roque, who came on as a substitute and scored a goal, received two yellow cards within a short span of time. Former Barcelona coach Xavi believes that the referees’ decision to send Roque off is related to the corruption case that Barcelona faced in 2023 involving payments made to a former vice-president of Spanish football’s refereeing committee.

nn

Finally, Everton’s Ashley Young plans to continue playing next season, but contract talks with the club have not yet begun. Young, who joined Everton on a one-year deal after leaving Aston Villa, expressed his desire to continue playing and is focused on upcoming games. The versatile player has featured in 17 Premier League games for Everton under manager Sean Dyche.