Premier League team news and statistics
Saturday, October 16
Arsenal (4) v Birmingham (16)
Arsenal welcome back strikers Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Theo Walcott (ankle) from injury but captain Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) remains sidelined. Centre-half Laurent Koscielny (back) misses out, as does full-back defender Bacary Sagna (thigh), but left-back Kieran Gibbs returns from his calf injury. Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia (elbow), centre-back Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Aaron Ramsey (leg) and Robin van Persie (ankle) are still out.
Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome is doubtful due to an ankle injury sustained in training. Nikola Zigic could make his first league start for Blues if Jerome is unfit. Former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb has recovered from an ankle knock but fellow midfielder Craig Gardner is suspended.
Last season:
Birmingham 1 Arsenal 1, Arsenal 3 Birmingham 1
Last five league matches:
Arsenal W W D L L; Birmingham D D L D L
Top scorers:
Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal) 5; Craig Gardner (Birmingham) 4
Match odds:
H 3-10 A 9-1 D 4-1
Referee
: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
Aston Villa (8) v Chelsea (1)
Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey is a doubt for tomorrow’s home Barclays Premier League match with leaders Chelsea due to shin and calf problems. With Gabriel Agbonlahor still sidelined after undergoing groin surgery a fortnight ago John Carew is set to get the nod up front if Heskey fails a fitness test. Meanwhile, Curtis Davies starts a one-month loan at npower Championship side Leicester.
Chelsea will be without striker Didier Drogba (fever) and midfielder Frank Lampard (groin), but captain John Terry is fit after recovering from the back injury that forced him to miss England’s draw with Montenegro. Defender Alex (thigh) and midfielder Yossi Benayoun (Achilles) are sidelined.
Last season:
Chelsea 7 Aston Villa 1, Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1
Last five league matches:
Aston Villa W L D W L; Chelsea W W W L W
Top scorers:
Stewart Downing, Emile Heskey & Ashley Young (Aston Villa) 3; Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) 7
Match odds:
H 4-1 A 8-11 D 5-2
Referee
: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Bolton (12) v Stoke (7)
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is hopeful Kevin Davies will be fit after picking up a knock to his ankle while on international duty with England. Andy O’Brien (hamstring) and Joey O’Brien (knee) are still receiving treatment, while Ricardo Gardner, Jlloyd Samuel and Sean Davis also remain sidelined.
Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is doubtful after sustaining a muscle tear in the area around his hip while on Denmark duty. Defender Andy Wilkinson is available after a knee problem, but forward Mamady Sidibe is a long-term absentee.
Last season:
Stoke 1 Bolton 2, Bolton 1 Stoke 1
Last five league matches:
Bolton D L D D D; Stoke L W D W W
Top scorers:
Johan Elmander (Bolton) 4; Kenwyne Jones (Stoke) 4
Match odds:
H 6-5 A 23-10 D 9-4
Referee
: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
Fulham (10) v Tottenham (5)
Fulham will be without Damien Duff and Dickson Etuhu, the former being rested in an attempt to overcome a niggling calf injury and the latter out for up to three weeks with an ankle problem. Mousa Dembele is available after recovering from his ankle injury but Andy Johnson (knee) is still one week away from returning.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will leave it late to decide whether to play central defender Ledley King. Younes Kaboul and William Gallas are back in training and David Bentley is on his way back from injury.
Last season:
Tottenham 2 Fulham 0, Fulham 0 Tottenham 0
Last five league matches:
Fulham D W D D D; Tottenham L D W L W
Top scorers:
Moussa Dembele, Bobby Zamora & Clinton Dempsey (Fulham) 3; Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko & Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham) 4
Match odds:
H 15-8 A 6-4 D 11-5
Referee
: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Manchester United (3) v West Brom (6)
Ryan Giggs is expected to return to Manchester United’s squad after missing two games with a minor hamstring strain. Wayne Rooney is likely to be recalled, with Sir Alex Ferguson opting not to comment directly over the striker’s claim he has not been suffering from an ankle injury, which was cited as the reason for his omission against Valencia and Sunderland.
West Brom could be without Premier League player of the month Peter Odemwingie, who is struggling to recover from a knee strain. Midfielder Jerome Thomas (calf) is also a doubt.
Last season:
No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches
: Man Utd W D W D D; West Brom L D W W D
Top scorers:
Dimitar Berbatov (Man Utd) 7; Peter Odemwingie (West Brom) 3
Match odds:
H 2-7 A 10-1 D 4-1
Referee
: Marc Jones (Wales)
Newcastle (15) v Wigan (14)
Newcastle will be without on-loan winger Hatem Ben Arfa as he continues his recovery from surgery to repair a double leg fracture, but defender Fabricio Coloccini (groin) is fit and midfielder Danny Guthrie (knee) could return from a lengthy lay-off. Steven Taylor (shoulder) will resume training next week but Leon Best (ankle), Steve Harper (shoulder) and Dan Gosling (knee) remain out.
Wigan midfielder Tom Cleverley looks set to be recalled after proving his fitness following a knee injury by playing for England Under-21s. Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has recovered from a stomach virus but Antolin Alcaraz (ankle) is doubtful and defender Gary Caldwell could be rested as he continues his recovery from injury.
Last season:
No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:
Newcastle D L W L L; Wigan W D L D W
Top scorers:
Andrew Carroll (Newcastle) 4; Jordi Gomez (Wigan) 3
Match odds:
H 5-6 A 7-2 D 12-5
Referee:
Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
Wolves (19) v West Ham (20)
Wolves will be without captain Karl Henry, who starts a three-game ban. He is likely to be replaced by David Jones, while summer signing Stephen Hunt is in contention for a place on the bench after playing for the reserves in midweek.
West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger will be sidelined for the next four months due to a thigh injury and joins Zavon Hines and Jack Collison (both knee) on the long-term injury list. Kieron Dyer could return after a stomach bug while Valon Behrami, Herita Ilunga and Benni McCarthy are all back in contention.
Last season:
West Ham 1 Wolves 3, Wolves 0 West Ham
Last five league matches:
Wolves D L L L L; West Ham L L D W D
Top scorers:
Steven Fletcher (Wolves) 3; Scott Parker & Frederic Piquionne (West Ham) 3
Match odds:
H 5-4 A 11-5 D 9-4
Referee:
Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
Sunday, October 17
Blackpool (9) v Manchester City (2)
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has no fresh injury worries. Matt Gilks (leg), Neal Eardley (ankle) and Craig Cathcart (back) missed international duty but have all recovered. Keith Southern will be pushing for a start after a knee injury but Billy Clarke, Alex Baptiste (both knee) and Louis Almond (shoulder)
remain out.
Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng is expected to feature after missing Germany’s midweek encounter with Kazakhstan due to a virus. Micah Richards and Pablo Zabaleta have both recovered from hamstring injuries but Mario Balotelli (knee) and Aleksandar Kolarov (ankle) will be missing for another 10 days.
Last season:
No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches
: Blackpool D W L L W; Man City L D W W W
Top scorers
: Charlie Adam (Blackpool) 3; Carlos Tevez (Man City) 5
Match odds:
H 9-2 A 8-13 D 11-4
Referee
: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Everton (17) v Liverpool (18)
Everton will be without midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who suffered a hamstring injury playing for Belgium in midweek and faces up to six weeks on the sidelines. Defender Phil Jagielka (hamstring) is also unlikely to feature while playmaker Steven Pienaar (groin) is still out and striker Louis Saha (calf) is unlikely to return.
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is fit despite sustaining an adductor injury in the 2-1 defeat to Blackpool. Defender Paul Konchesky has recovered from a hamstring strain while fellow left-back Fabio Aurelio has overcome an Achilles problem, but Denmark centre-half Daniel Agger (back) is a doubt and Holland forward Dirk Kuyt (ankle) has been ruled out for at least three weeks after both picked up injuries on international duty.
Last season:
Liverpool 1 Everton 0, Everton 0 Liverpool 2
Last five league matches:
Everton L D L D W; Liverpool W D L D L
Top scorers:
Tim Cahill (Everton) 3; David Ngog (Liverpool) 7
Match odds:
H 11-8 A 2-1 D 11-5
Referee
: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
Monday, October 18
Blackburn (13) v Sunderland (11)
Blackburn midfielder David Dunn is expected to feature after recovering from a hamstring strain but Vince Grella is still missing with the same problem. Keith Andrews is also out after having an operation on a groin injury while Ryan Nelsen is a doubt with a thigh problem.
Sunderland striker Darren Bent is a major doubt after returning from England duty with a groin injury. Record signing Asamoah Gyan is on standby. On-loan Manchester United man Danny Welbeck returns after being ineligible against his parent club, while Kieran Richardson, Anton Ferdinand and John Mensah have all shaken off hamstring injuries and are back in contention along with Craig Gordon (broken arm).
Last season:
Blackburn 2 Sunderland 2, Sunderland 2 Blackburn 1
Last five league matches:
Blackburn L D D W L; Sunderland W D D D D
Top scorers:
Mame Diouf (Blackburn) 4; Darren Bent (Sunderland) 7
Match odds:
H 23-20 A 12-5 D 9-4
Referee
: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)