Joe Gomez’s injury hell at Liverpool is finally coming to an end and manager Jurgen Klopp is still completely convinced of the youngster’s quality.

Gomez hasn’t featured for Liverpool since October 2015, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while with the England Under-21s and then battled an Achilles problem.

But the 19-year-old defender has played a handful of Under-23s games for the Reds over the past two months and could make his first-team return in the FA Cup clash with Plymouth on Sunday.

Gomez came through the ranks at Charlton Athletic and made the switch from the Valley to Anfield for a fee of £3.5million in the summer of 2015.

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Brendan Rodgers was Liverpool manager at the time but Klopp remembers seeing the teenager’s original cruciate injury.

“It was really unlucky, I still can remember the situation when he had the injury,” said Klopp. “I saw it in the Under-21 game, I watched it on television and thought ‘Oh my God!’. Really unlucky.

“Everybody was sure about his quality, everybody is sure about his quality.

“He’s a very, very young boy and we took him for a reason – OK, before I was here, but it was a good reason.

“So yes, we try to create somehow space that he can develop and perform when possible.”

Gomez’s injuries mean he is yet to play a game under Klopp but the German boss says he has a good relationship with the versatile defender.

“We had actually a lot of contact,” added Klopp. “That’s how it is with injured players, a lot of time of the day [they are] here because they have treatment, different kinds of therapy, training, whatever.

“So for a player who’s nearly never played for me, we have a good relationship I would say. I spoke to him [more] than maybe other players.

“We met always because I’m here a little bit longer than the players obviously. We met at lunchtime, we had dinner a lot of times together so yes, it’s good.”

In David de Gea, Manchester United boast one of the best goalkeepers in world football, but Jose Mourinho admits he wants anyone but the shot-stopper to be the Red Devils’ best player of the season.

The 26-year-old has undeniably justified his £18.9m price tag since signing from Atletico Madrid in June 2011, going from strength and strength despite being under the tutelage of a plethora of managers.

So valuable was his influence, the Spaniard became the first goalkeeper to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year – as voted by the fans – in 2013.

But supporter honours didn’t end there, also becoming the first player to win the award three years in succession – something which Mourinho admits is not always a positive.

The manager was also quick to praise his gloveman for his work in victory over West Ham United last time out, with his save from Michail Antonio vital in keeping a clean sheet in the Red Devils’ sixth successive victory.

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“I think when a goalkeeper is the player of the season it’s because something is wrong,” said Mourinho.

“Hopefully, David is not our Player of the Year again this season, but hopefully he keeps making important saves for us like he did in the last match.”

“I hugged David at the end of the game because I think without the save against Antonio there would not have been three points.

“If Antonio had scored with 25 minutes remaining, the way they were organised and defending, it would have been very difficult to win.”

The London Stadium has not exactly brought West Ham home comforts so far this season, but former England international Joe Cole admits he is envious not to have had his chance at Hammers HQ.

After a sluggish start to the season, many pointed at the finger of the new home for some disappointing results, notably a 3-0 defeat to Southampton.

And a 5-1 defeat to London rivals Arsenal also proved a bitter pill to swallow for a side who reached the Europa League stages last season.

But with almost 60,000 fans forever blowing bubbles, Cole feels it is an opportunity he would have undoubtedly relished.

Now plying his trade with Tampa Bay Rowdies in Florida, the 35-year-old began his career in the Hammers in the youth setup, also returning for a one-season spell in 2013-14, though he didn’t get a chance to run out at the home of the London 2012 Olympics.

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“I think it is an amazing stadium and it looks immense. I was getting an itch just looking out at the pitch and would love to have been out there playing,” he said.

“When you come to a new stadium you are going to have some little problems, but this is forward thinking by West Ham United and this is 100 per cent the right thing to do. With a few more good results I am sure it will begin to feel like home.

“It is amazing that West Ham are playing at such a big venue like London Stadium. It was amazing for me to play at Upton Park and it was special in it’s own right. But time waits for no-one and West Ham have now got the capabilities to compete with the biggest teams in the world.

“It is exciting times for the club and West Ham can now compete with the top teams financially.

“You can see Champions League football being played at London Stadium. If you are honest, you probably couldn’t see that happening at Upton Park.”

With his impeccable record for avoiding the drop, Sam Allardyce’s appointment as Crystal Palace manager had many people assuming the Eagles would automatically steer clear of relegation.

But Damien Delaney says the squad can’t afford to rest on their laurels as they look to haul themselves away from danger.

Allardyce has never been relegated from the Premier League in his entire management career, helping clubs such as Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham and Sunderland consistently maintain their top-flight status.

Palace are currently 17th in the table, just one point and one place above the drop zone, and have earned just one point in three matches since the 62-year-old took charge.

They suffered a disheartening 2-1 home defeat to hapless Swansea last time out and Delaney admits they must do better to survive.

“We’re way below where we should be, but we can’t make excuses. We can’t dress it up,” explained the defender.

“He [Allardyce] has got a tremendous track record, but we can’t rely on that. He’s not going to make us into anything without tremendous hard work on the training ground.

“There’s no point blaming other people, it’s on our shoulders now. We’ve got to get back to the training ground, get back to work.”

Erik Lamela is still a little way off from a Tottenham return and has travelled to Italy to continue his rehab according to manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Argentine winger has been out of action since October with a hip injury and had been expected to make his return to action over the holiday period.

However, the 24-year-old is still on the sidelines and missed the 2-0 victory over leaders Chelsea on Wednesday.

He will not make his return in the FA Cup against Aston Villa, instead heading out to Italy to try to finally get over his hip issue.

Pochettino explained that Lamela has found his time out frustrating, particularly with Spurs on a good run at the moment and up to third in the Premier League.

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Pochettino explained: “Erik is close but he’s a little frustrated at the moment.

“The team is showing big energy, it’s a special moment and it’s tough for him. He wants to be out there. He has asked to spend some time away and he’s gone to Roma with our staff to finish his recovery.

“Hopefully after that he’ll be available and start to work again with the team.”

New signing Ademola Lookman wants to help Everton win trophies after becoming the club’s first signing of the January transfer window.

The winger, 19, was playing for Waterloo FC three years ago before being spotted by Charlton Athletic, where he made his first team debut in November 2015.

But after signing a four-and-a-half year deal at Goodison Park, the teenager admitted it was a dream come true to be playing in the Premier League.

“I still feel like I’m dreaming. It’s amazing to think only three years ago I was playing on uneven pitches in parks,” he said.

“Everton is a huge club. I watched lots of games growing up and the atmosphere at Goodison Park was something that always caught my eye.

(Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)

“I can’t wait to get started here. I want to establish myself in the team, but I also want achieve things and help the club win trophies.”

Lookman’s new manager Ronald Koeman was impressed by the versatility of the young forward, who scored 12 times in 49 appearances for the Addicks.

“He can play from the left side, he can play out of the right wing position, he can play like a second striker,” Koeman said.

“He is fast and his movement is very dangerous. He is a player who scores goals.”

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has pledged his future to the Reds, insisting he is keen to remain at Anfield for years to come.

The Brazilian, who moved to Merseyside in 2015 after a four-year spell in Germany, has proved himself indispensable to Jurgen Klopp’s side as they continue to push for top honours in the Premier League this season.

The 25-year-old has found the back of the net on seven occasions already this term and, with plenty of games yet to play, is a sure bet to beat last season’s tally of 11.

Firmino is the first to admit he struggled to adjust to the demands of English football, but under Klopp’s guidance, has blossomed into the player he is today.

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“I think I have already changed my way of playing,” he said.

“First of all because I was adapted to the European style of football due to playing in Germany with Hoffenheim for three years.

“But then I had to make another adjustment because English football and the Premier League is much, much faster.

“You really do notice that the pace is very high here but it is a type of football that I enjoy.

“I am giving my best to the team like all the other players and everyone is happy with the work they are doing.

“That’s reflected in the football we are producing and the fact that everyone is enjoying themselves.

“I love playing here and hopefully it is something I can continue to do for many years.”

Yaya Toure admits that after nearly six years, two Premier League titles and an FA Cup title, he owes a lot to the Manchester City fans for making his time at the club so special.

Toure endured a horror start to life under Pep Guardiola, failing to make an appearance for City in the Premier League until November 19.

Since then the former Barcelona man has been increasingly important for Guardiola’s side and he turned in another man-of-the-match performance in their 2-1 win over Burnley on Monday.

With their FA Cup opener against West Ham on Friday night, Toure says the tournament has a special place in his heart and claims he wants to repay the fans who have given so much.

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“It’s a special competition for me,” Toure said. “We want to fight for the fans because they deserve it.

“They pay a lot for their tickets all these years and they support me always.

“I cannot forget that, how they support me and how they sing my name. It is not the same in every club.

“To be honest, I am always playing football to win. You have to be realistic and understand sometimes you can lose. But we always start wanting to win.

“The FA Cup is now huge for us.

“We are out of the League Cup so the FA Cup is even more important. We want to win.”

The loss of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea was always going to hit Premier League champions Leicester City hard but now Foxes fans will hope the club have found his perfect replacement in Wilfred Ndidi.

The defensive midfielder, 20, is already a Nigerian international and completed his move from Genk to the King Power Stadium, where he has signed a five and a half year deal, on Thursday.

A goalless draw with Middlesbrough on Monday was the Foxes’ second straight clean sheet with Daniel Amartey, Papy Mendy and Andy King combining in a midfield three.

And while Ndidi could come straight into Leicester’s starting line-up for their FA Cup third round trip to Everton, he knows he has plenty to learn about English football.

“My first impression was ‘wow’. I trained and it was really good because it was really high intensity. I feel I can learn a lot here,” he said.

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

“Claudio welcomed me and then he explained to me how the team and everything worked, which I’ve sometimes seen on TV.

“I want to just try and understand how the game flows in the Premier League and then work towards that.

“For now, I am the kind of player that plays for the team. I try to win the balls for the team – that is one of my main attributes. I hope to achieve a lot here.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he is on a hiding to nothing over his decision to rest forward Alexis Sanchez for their FA Cup third round trip to Preston.

The Chile international will assume the role of fan for the Gunners’ trip to Lancashire with Wenger opting to allow Sanchez some time out of the matchday squad.

The 28-year-old is one of the team’s most influential players, having scored or assisted an impressive 45.5 per cent of Arsenal’s goals this season.

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

He was instrumental in helping Arsenal recover from a three-goal deficit to draw with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Tuesday although he appeared to show his frustration at two points dropped by storming off the field.

And while resting his star player may lead to questions if Arsenal crash out of the FA Cup, Wenger remains convinced that player welfare comes first.

“Alexis wants always to play, and on one side when I don’t play him, people say ‘why don’t you play him?’ and on the other hand I am criticised for using him too much,” said Wenger.

“But I always planned in my head, no matter what happens, that in January he will need a breather.

“What we forget is that when they go away for international games they travel to Chile. Then they play sometimes 2,000 miles away, they travel back and then they come here and play the next day again.

“They are human beings – you have to give them a breather at some stage. Mentally and physically [Alexis needs a rest] because at the moment he is a bit jaded. You can see that he is tired.”