LiveScore Daily: Colwill eyes early Christmas present

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Merry Christmas

Levi Colwill wants to give the Chelsea faithful an early Christmas present by winning at Wolves on Sunday. 

The Premier League's decision to move the fixture to 1pm on Christmas Eve was labelled "outrageous" and "totally unacceptable" by Chelsea Supporters' Trust when it was announced earlier this year. 

And Colwill, 20, would love to soften the blow by helping the Blues to back-to-back league wins following their 2-0 success over Sheffield United last weekend. 

The defender said: "I hope everyone has a very good Christmas. 

"We have a game on Christmas Eve so hopefully we can make it better for everyone watching and all the fans travelling up by putting on a great game. 

"Hopefully everyone enjoys it."

Trippier is fine

Eddie Howe insists Kieran Trippier has already shaken off his costly mistake against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. 

England ace Trippier, 33, allowed Mykhailo Mudryk to net a late equaliser for the Blues, who went on to win on penalties at Stamford Bridge to advance to the semi-finals. 

But Howe is adamant it will be business as usual for the defender when the Magpies head to Luton on Saturday. 

He said: "Kieran is fine, he is a strong character and vastly experienced. 

"It is also not about one individual, it is about the collective. 

"We were so close to progressing and that was our intention. A lot of the performance was good but we do need a collective response."

Trippier also missed from the spot as Chelsea won the shootout 4-2. 

Step by step

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany insists he will maintain a cautious approach to Lyle Foster's return from mental health issues. 

South Africa forward Foster, 23, made his first appearance since October as a sub in the 2-0 Premier League home defeat to Everton last weekend. 

He is in line to start at Fulham on Saturday but Kompany said: "I'm still very cautious over his rehabilitation, this is just a step. 

"His natural environment includes football and the goal is to put him back in his natural environment. 

"I'm a little bit careful with that but playing makes him happy. When he's happy he's able to do really good things for us. 

"Obviously we don't just rely on Lyle but it's good for us to have a key player back."

Injury update

Erik ten Hag expects Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount to return for Manchester United in mid-January.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to West Ham on Saturday, the United boss also revealed Victor Lindelof has undergone surgery.

Ten Hag, 53, said: "We have some illnesses during the week, so we have to see who is always available for tomorrow. Hopefully they are recovered but we have to see.

"Casemiro and Martinez are not available before Christmas, so that will be mid-January we expect them back. 

"Mount similar into January. Harry Maguire I expect him early on and Lindelof is not available. He has done a surgery so he will be out for a couple of weeks.”

Respect is due

Marco Silva insists Fulham will treat Rebecca Welch no differently to any other referee ahead of her landmark first Premier League match. 

Welch, 40, will become the first woman to take charge of a top-flight match when the Cottagers face Burnley at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

And Silva said: "It is important, of course. She was the first [female] fourth official in the Premier League in our game at the Cottage as well and we are going to welcome her here again. 

"It should not even be a question. It is a matter of quality and the ability to referee a football match and for sure she has [that] or she's not going to be at this level. 

"For us it will be a normal situation. Of course, it will be the first time so everyone has to talk about it. 

"But when the game starts it is going to be another Premier League game, with people with good ability to be a manager, a player or to be a referee. 

"For us she is going to be the ref in the game. For us it has to be something normal. I know it's not normal because it’s the first time but for us it's completely the same.

"We have to always respect all the officials and she's going to be welcomed. She got this chance because she deserves it and she has the ability to be at the level she is going to be tomorrow."

O'Neil urges Wolves to bite back

Gary O'Neil has told Wolves to learn from last weekend's defeat at West Ham and "try to put things right" against Chelsea on Sunday. 

A Mohammed Kudus double and a Jarrod Bowen strike saw O'Neil's men comfortably beaten at the London Stadium, keeping them 13th in the Premier League.

Chelsea are only three points above Wolves in 10th and the former Bournemouth boss believes there are positives to take from that West Ham mauling. 

He said: "Three counter-attack goals gave us no chance to take anything from the game.

"But they were really easy fixes that we've been over with the lads to ensure that we understand. 

"It's my job to analyse the game without emotion. And when you do, loads of the stuff in it was really good. 

"Numbers were good in terms of final-third entries, penalty-box entries, shots, so lots of stuff in there is positive. 

"But when you lose 3-0 no one is interested in that, so we need to fix the bits that need fixing and get back onto a home game this weekend and try to put things right."