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Newcastle: Eddie Howe has given an update on Lewis Hall and the rest of his squad\u2019s fitness ahead of Sunday\u2019s trip to West Ham.<\/p>\n
[Lewis Hall] is very close. He hasn\u2019t trained with us yet so hopefully he will be training with us today for the first time. We will see how he looks. I think he has worked really hard. He has looked after himself and looks in really good shape. But then we have to reintroduce himself back into the squad at the right time.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think there is anything new. We are still managing Will Osula\u2019s ankle problem. We will see how he is today, but apart from that I think we are as we were.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u200bFA Cup: A quick turn to \u200b\u200btonight\u2019s meeting between Luton Town and Forest Green Rovers \u200bin the FA Cup first round. \u200bBoth sides \u200bwill wear kits made by the eco-conscious brand Reflo\u200b and to mark the occasion, Reflo says it will plant 1,000 trees for every goal scored at Kenilworth Road, with a minimum of 1,000 trees guaranteed regardless of the result. The initiative is designed to highlight the growing intersection between football and environmental responsibility, particularly among clubs that have made sustainability part of their identity.<\/p>\n Forest Green Rovers, long known as the world\u2019s first fully vegan football club, are celebrating ten years since that milestone this season. Their kits are also certified by \u200bt\u200bhe Vegan Society. Luton Town have launched tree-planting schemes of their own as part of their broader push toward greener practice\u200bs, including plans for an environmentally conscious new stadium at Power Court.<\/p>\n On the pitch, two former Premier League players-turned-managers\u200b, Jack Wilshere and Robbie Savage\u200b, face off in the dugouts\u200b with a spot in the second round and a few thousand trees at stake.<\/p>\n Robbie Savage is at the wheel with Forest Green. Photograph: FGRShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.10 EDT<\/p>\n Liverpool: The defending champions take on Villa this weekend before hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League. Their final game before the November international break will be away to Manchester City. Here is what Slot said on the challenge Villa posses:<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t win the beginning, people say: \u2018oh maybe they don\u2019t have the same team as last season\u2019 and then they start winning and everything is positive again. Where with us, it\u2019s exactly the opposite.<\/p>\n We\u2019re both on the same points, apart from Arsenal many teams are in and around the same points. It shows how hard the Premier League is.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve done very well in the last six or seven games. And maybe it\u2019s not a surprise and you could see in the games they lost before the signs that they are a very good team.<\/p>\n They decided not to make a habit out of having more chances than the opponent and not win it. Let\u2019s make sure we don\u2019t have that habit.<\/p>\n The Dutchman also provided some team news:<\/p>\n Ryan [Gravenberch] trained with us yesterday. The other two [Curtis Jones and Alexander Isak] not yet.<\/p>\n In the end bit of an injury, things can slow down. Let\u2019s see where the other two are.<\/p>\n Ryan trained with us for the first time yesterday, and will train with us today. Then we\u2019ll make the call to see if he can start or not. The other two are probably 99.9% not in the squad on Saturday.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Liverpool: Slot is also asked whether he and the club are in negotiations for a contract extension.<\/p>\n This is the last question that I was expecting.<\/p>\n My focus is completely on getting Liverpool back to winning ways. That is my first answer and my second answer, contract talks, if they are even there, we never speak about this here.<\/p>\n Let us first start to win again, that is my main focus.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Liverpool: More from Slot on finding form.<\/p>\n The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality in the players and the chances these players are creating. This will result in the players scoring more goals than we have up until now.<\/p>\n We have to address other things. But if I talk about that and speak about them, people tell me I\u2019m using excuses. So maybe it\u2019s best that I just say that. There are other positives to go int this week \u2013 quality of the players first and foremost and the amount of chances we created from open play is enough to compete for the positions we want to compete for.<\/p>\n Liverpool manager Arne Slot during their midweek defeat to Crystal Palace. Photograph: Daniel Chesterton\/Offside\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.55 EDT<\/p>\n Slot ‘happy with quality of team’ despite dire Liverpool results<\/p>\n The Liverpool manager Arne Slot was asked whether he feels his squad depth is the reason his side have lost six of their last seven matches.<\/p>\n We miss nothing. I\u2019m happy with the quality of the team. But I\u2019m also convinced by the strategy and policy we have. What makes it \u2018the issue\u2019 \u2013 not all of them have had a proper pre-season. When three or four are injured, you go down to having 16 players.<\/p>\n I am a firm believer in 21 or 22 players are enough. But you have to keep them fit as we did last season. We are struggling to keep them fit this season for in my opinion, obvious reasons.<\/p>\n [Alexander Isak] came to us on 1 September. A few others missed out in pre-season. It has been more difficult than last season to keep them more available. When players are not available, it [workload] comes down more to the same players.<\/p>\n But no excuses for results. We had to play a lot of away games with only two days in between. That would have been difficult last season, and for any player that has been fit this season through pre-season. But it has not been the case this season.<\/p>\n Then you have to manage it. The upcoming week is three games in eight days. It has nothing to do with squad depth, but it has how we have run through the season in terms of injuries, availability every two or three days.<\/p>\n