Saturday

Arsenal (8) v Charlton (6)

Patrick Vieira will play for Arsenal despite red cards in the first two matches of the season. Manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed suggestions he is worried about the French midfielder. Swedish midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg is fit again after a leg injury.

Alan Curbishley welcomes £3.75-million summer signing Jonatan Johansson into his squad for the first time. The Finnish international scored for the reserves in midweek after overcoming a hamstring problem and is likely to make his debut.

Last season: No corresponding fixture Last five league matches: Arsenal W D L L W, Charlton D L L W L Top scorers: Thierry Henry, Lauren (Arsenal) 1; Andy Hunt, Mark Kinsella, John Robinson, Graham Stuart (Charlton) 1 Match odds: H 4-11 A 7-1 D 11-4. Referee: S Lodge

Bradford (9) v Leicester (4)

Right-back Ian Nolan is the only doubt for Bradford with a slight knock following Tuesday's stunning 2-0 home victory against Chelsea. Striker Dean Saunders will miss his third straight. Leicester's Northern Ireland midfielder Neil Lennon suffered a recurrence of a thigh injury during Leicester's victory over West Ham in midweek and is doubtful. International team-mate Gerry Taggart broke some fingers in that match but is expected to play. Steve Guppy and Darren Eadie are hoping to retain their places in the starting line-up.

Last season: Leicester 3 Bradford 0, Bradford 3 Leicester 1 Last five league matches: Bradford W L W L W, Leicester W W L D W Top scorers: Benito Carbone, Dean Windass (Bradford) 1; Darren Eadie (Leicester) 1 Match odds: H 6-4 A 6-4 D 21-10. Referee: S Bennett

Everton (7) v Derby (17)

Everton striker Duncan Ferguson is having treatment for a calf problem, while Italian full-back Alessandro Pistone is almost certainly out with a hamstring injury. Welsh midfielder Mark Pembridge is sidelined with a calf injury and Abel Xavier and Alex Cleland are long-term injury victims. However, boss Walter Smith could have Niclas Alexandersson available after an ankle knock, while Michael Ball is also back in the frame. Derby boss Jim Smith is forced to keep faith in the side that lost 3-2 at Newcastle, although Malcolm Christie could win a place on the bench. Rory Delap is still out with a rib problem while the longer-term casualties - Giorgi Kinkladze (hernia), Horacio Carbonari (hernia), Craig Burley (calf) and Lars Bohinen (leg) - have no chance of coming back until after the 10-day international break.

Last season: Everton 2 Derby 1, Derby 1 Everton 0 Last five league matches: Everton L D L L W, Derby D D L D L Top scorers: Duncan Ferguson, Joe-Max Moore (Everton) 2; Branko Strupar (Derby) 2 Match odds: H 8-13 A 4-1 D 9-4. Referee: M Riley

Ipswich (19) v Sunderland (13)

Ipswich have a doubt over captain Matt Holland, who has an ankle injury. Martijn Reuser, the Dutchman signed for £1-million from Vitesse Arnhem, may deputise.

Sunderland have been hit by the loss of new signing Stanislav Varga. The Slovakia captain has had surgery on a leg muscle injury sustained in Wednesday's defeat at Manchester City and is expected to be out for six weeks.

Last season: No corresponding fixture Last five league matches: Ipswich W W W L D, Sunderland D W L W L Top scorers: Mark Venus, Fabian Wilnis (Ipswich) 1; Niall Quinn (Sunderland) 2 Match odds: H 13-8 A 11-8 D 21-10. Referee: G Poll

Man City (15) v Coventry (11)

Last season's top scorer Shaun Goater, veteran midfielder Ian Bishop and defender Andy Morrison are still a couple of weeks short of serious contention. New defender Paul Ritchie could come into contention. Coventry are expected to be unchanged following Wednesday's victory at Southampton.

Last season: No Corresponding fixture Last five league matches: Man City D W W L W, Coventry L W L L W Top scorers: Paulo Wanchope (Man City) 5; Craig Bellamy, John Eustace, Cedric Roussel (Coventry) 1 Match odds: H 11-10 A 2-1 D 11-5. Referee: A D'Urso

Middlesbrough (1) v Leeds (5)

Middlesbrough's Croatian striker Alen Boksic will undergo a late fitness test on a groin injury. The 30-year-old missed the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in midweek after scoring twice on his debut at Coventry, as did defender Colin Cooper and midfielder Paul Ince, who are both likely to return against David O'Leary's side.

Leeds welcome back £7.2-million club record signing Olivier Dacourt along with Eirik Bakke, but the Norwegian international could again miss out due to an ankle injury. David O'Leary will again be without Harry Kewell, Jason Wilcox, Stephen McPhail and Dominic Matteo through injury.

Last season: Middlesbrough 0 Leeds 0, Leeds 2 Middlesbrough 0 Last five league matches: Middlesbrough D D W W D, Leeds W W D D W Top scorers: Alen Boksic (Middlesbrough) 2; Alan Smith (Leeds) 4 Match odds: H 6-4 A 6-4 D 21-10. Referee: G Barber

Newcastle (12) v Tottenham (2)

Newcastle are facing a fresh injury crisis after losing defender Nikos Dabizas and £7-million summer signing Carl Cort. Dabizas had an operation on a cartilage tear yesterday while Cort has torn a hamstring, and they join Spaniard Marcelino (finger), Rob Lee (calf) and Kevin Gallacher (thigh) on the casualty list, but there is a return for full-back Andy Griffin after a groin strain.

George Graham is set to name an unchanged Tottenham team for the third consecutive match.

Last season: Newcastle 2 Tottenham 1, Tottenham 3 Newcastle 1 Last five league matches: Newcastle D D W L W, Tottenham D L W W D Top scorers: Daniel Cordone, Carl Cort, Stephen Glass (Newcastle) 1; Darren Anderton, Steve Carr, Les Ferdinand, Oyvind Leonhardsen (Tottenham) 1 Match odds: H 10-11 A 12-5 D 9-4. Referee: D Elleray

Southampton (18) v Liverpool (14)

Defender Dean Richards is in contention to return after missing the first two games through suspension. Latvian international Marian Pahars is expected to return after recovering from a thigh strain.

Liverpool hope youngster Steven Gerrard, who has been receiving treatment for a groin problem all week, will be available. Emile Heskey (knee) has been ruled out. Liverpool also have Titi Camara suffering from a back injury.

Last season: Liverpool 0 Southampton 0, Southampton 1 Liverpool 1 Last five league matches: Southampton L D W D L; Liverpool L D L W L Top scorers: Hassan Kachloul (Southampton) 2; Emile Heskey (Liverpool) 1 Match odds: H 5-2 A 10-11 D 11-5. Referee: J Winter

West Ham (20) v Man Utd (3)

West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has shaken off an Achilles injury and will play, but the Hammers will be without England duo Frank Lampard (ankle) and Trevor Sinclair (pelvic), plus striker Frederic Kanoute (hamstring). Joe Cole will earn his first start of the season, and Christian Bassila will be on the bench.

Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke could get their first start for Manchester United but central defender Ronny Johnsen is still receiving treatment on a groin strain and is doubtful. If he fails to make it Ronnie Wallwork is set to continue at centre-back with Mickael Silvestre and Henning Berg on stand-by. Denis Irwin is missing with an ankle injury, Nicky Butt completes a fourmatch suspension carried over from last season, while Roy Keane plays his final game before starting a three-match ban.

Last season: Man Utd 7 West Ham 1, West Ham 2 Man Utd 4 Last five league matches: West Ham L L D L L, Man Utd W W W W D Top scorers: Paolo di Canio, Frederic Kanoute (West Ham) 1; Ronny Johnsen, Andy Cole, David Beckham (Man Utd) 1 Match odds: H 11-5 A 4-5 D 23-10. Referee: S Dunn

Sunday

Aston Villa (16) v Chelsea (10)

Record signing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink faces a fitness test before boss Gianluca Vialli knows whether he will be ready to start. Mario Stanic could be missing again, while full-backs Albert Ferrer and Graeme Le Saux are still returning to full fitness so Frank Leboeuf could be recalled.

Villa's Belgian international striker Luc Nilis is set to miss out again with a groin problem. Nilis, who joined Villa on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven earlier this summer, may be on the bench.

Last season: Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 0, Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 0 Last five league matches: Aston Villa D D D L D, Chelsea W L W W L Top scorers: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink; Mario Stanic (Chelsea) 2 Match odds: H 15-8 A 6-5 D 21-10. Referee: P Durkin Match odds supplied courtesy of William Hill