Weekend's Premier League team news
Saturday, October 24th
Birmingham (17) v Sunderland (7)
Blues defenders Franck Queudrue and Stuart Parnaby are available after hamstring problems. Gregory Vignal (hamstring) is set to resume training next week, while on-loan Sunderland man Teemu Tainio is ineligible.
Kieran Richardson is back after suspension for Sunderland but fellow midfielder Lee Cattermole has a knee ligament injury and defender John Mensah (calf) is also out. Kenwyne Jones, carried off with a twisted ankle against Liverpool, trained yesterday and is expected to be fit, as are Bolo Zenden (hip) and Andy Reid (calf).
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Birmingham L W L L L; Sunderland W L W D W
Top scorers:Lee Bowyer (Birmingham) 3; Darren Bent (Sunderland) 8
Match odds:H 9-5 A 6-4 D 23-10
Referee:Chris Foy (Merseyside)
Burnley (10) v Wigan (14)
Clarets manager Owen Coyle has no fresh injury concerns. Winger Fernando Guerrero played the full 90 minutes for the reserves earlier this week and may feature after overcoming his recent hamstring injury but long-term absentees Martin Paterson, Chris McCann (both knee) and Jay Rodriguez (ankle) are still out.
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and midfielder Paul Scharner are doubts. Kirkland dislocated a finger in the second half of the draw with Manchester City, and although he saw out the game, he has yet to train this week. Scharner sustained a hip injury in the same game, and like Kirkland, has not trained since.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Burnley L W L W L; Wigan W L W L D
Top scorers:Steven Fletcher (Burnley) 4; Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) 3
Match odds:H 7-5 A 19-10 D 23-10
Referee:Lee Mason (England)
Chelsea (2) v Blackburn (13)
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba returns after suspension ruled him out of the Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. However, Jose Bosingwa (knee), and Yury Zhirkov (knee) are out and midfielder John Mikel Obi and defender Alex are not deemed match fit after recovering from injury.
Blackburn have a handful of players battling a virus — manager Sam Allardyce will check on them in the morning before deciding on his starting XI. Striker Franco Di Santo is ineligible to face his parent club, Vince Grella remains sidelined with a thigh injury and Pascal Chimbonda is a doubt with a calf strain.
Last season:Chelsea 2 Blackburn 0, Blackburn 0 Chelsea 2
Last five league matches:Chelsea W W L W L; Blackburn W L W L W
Top scorers:Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 7; David Dunn (Blackburn) 5
Match odds:H 1-6 A 18-1 D 11-2
Referee:Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
Hull (18) v Portsmouth (20)
Jimmy Bullard could make his first Hull start after a substitute appearance in Monday’s loss at Fulham and a run-out in the reserves the following night. Defender Anthony Gardner (knee) may figure, while captain Nick Barmby (knee) is available and Richard Garcia (knee) is nearing fitness, leaving Ian Ashbee (knee) Hull’s only major casualty.
Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown is suspended but loan player Jamie O’Hara returns to the side as he was unable to play against his parent club last weekend. The game comes too soon for Hermann Hreidarsson, who is recovering from a foot tendon injury, while Papa Bouba Diop and Richard Hughes remain absent with hamstring and hip problems respectively.
Last season:Hull 0 Portsmouth 0, Portsmouth 2 Hull 2
Last five league matches:Hull L L L W L; Portsmouth L L L W L
Top scorers:Geovanni (Hull) 4; Kevin-Prince Boateng, Younes Kaboul, Tommy Smith & Mike Williamson (Portsmouth) 2
Match odds:H 6-4 A 9-5 D 23-10
Referee:Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Man City (5) v Fulham (12)
City manager Mark Hughes is hopeful skipper Kolo Toure and Craig Bellamy return to the side. Defender Toure and striker Bellamy missed the 1-1 draw at Wigan last Sunday with a heel injury and groin strain respectively. Hughes is definitely without defender Pablo Zabaleta, because of suspension.
Simon Davies missed Fulham’s draw with Roma yesterday but could make the squad after stepping up his rehabilitation from a foot injury. Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu have knee injuries, Andrew Johnson is struggling with a shoulder problem, while Kagisho Dikgacoi is still suspended.
Last season:Man City 1 Fulham 3, Fulham 1 Man City 1
Last five league matches: Man City W L W D D; Fulham W L L D W
Top scorers:Emmanuel Adebayor & Craig Bellamy (Man City) 4; Danny Murphy & Bobby Zamora (Fulham) 4
Match odds:H 4-9 A 7-1 D 3-1
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Tottenham (3) v Stoke (9)
Spurs striker Jermain Defoe is suspended after his dismissal against Portsmouth last weekend. Giovani dos Santos (ankle) and Luke Modric (fractured leg) are also sidelined but Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Michael Dawson (Achilles) are close to full fitness and add options in defence for boss Harry Redknapp.
Andy Wilkinson is primed to return to Stoke’s defence as Robert Huth starts a three-match ban. Glenn Whelan could return after his exploits for the Republic of Ireland, but his international team-mate Liam Lawrence is a doubt after missing training with a virus.
Last season:Tottenham 3 Stoke 1, Stoke 2 Tottenham 1
Last five league matches:Tottenham L L W D W; Stoke L D L D W
Top scorers:Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 7; James Beattie & Tuncay Sanli (Stoke) 2
Match odds:H 4-9 A 7-1 D 3-1
Referee:Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
Wolves (16) v Aston Villa (6)
Striker Chris Iwelumo returns to the Wolves squad after six months out with knee ligament damage, then a broken foot. Andrew Surman and Richard Stearman are also back in contention after recent injury lay-offs after a midweek reserve outing but Stefan Maierhofer is suspended.
Villa have no fresh injury or suspension concerns. Full-back Luke Young returned to the squad for the win over Chelsea but failed to make it into the matchday 18 and will hope for inclusion tomorrow. Gabriel Agbonlahor should continue up front alongside John Carew, with Emile Heskey likely to start on the bench.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Wolves L W L L D; Aston Villa W W L D W
Top scorers:Kevin Doyle (Wolves) 3; Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) 5
Match odds:H 12-5 A 23-20 D 23-10
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
West Ham (19) v Arsenal (4)
Scott Parker returns for West Ham after serving a one-match ban. Danny Gabbidon hopes to start after recovering from a calf problem, and Kieron Dyer (hamstring) could be in the squad. Dean Ashton (ankle), Luis Boa Morte (knee) and Calum Davenport( leg) are all long-term absentees.
Arsenal expect to have strikers Eduardo (groin) and Nicklas Bendtner (groin) available but winger Tomas Rosicky (knee) misses out and Theo Walcott is sidelined for around a month following knee medial ligament damage. Samir Nasri, who broke his leg during pre-season, and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (knee) are close to full fitness but midfielder Denilson (back) and defender Johan Djourou (knee) are out.
Last season:Arsenal 0 West Ham 0, West Ham 0 Arsenal 2
Last five league matches:West Ham L L L D L; Arsenal L W W W W
Top scorers:Carlton Cole (West Ham) 4; Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie & Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal) 5
Match odds:H 6-1 A 1-2 D 3-1
Referee:Steve Bennett (Kent)
Sunday, October 25th
Bolton (15) v Everton (11)
Bolton defender Andy O’Brien should be available to play after overcoming a groin problem, but striker Johan Elmander remains a doubt having not yet fully recovered from his hamstring injury. Joey O’Brien and Sean Davis are both long-term absentees with knee injuries.
Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is Everton’s latest injury casualty, suffering a thigh problem in the 5-0 defeat by Benfica. Joseph Yobo (head), Leon Osman (ankle) and Leighton Baines (calf) are doubtful but Lucas Neill and John Heitinga are available again after being ineligible for the Europa League game.
Last season:Everton 3 Bolton 0, Bolton 0 Everton 1
Last five league matches:Bolton W D W D L; Everton L W W D D
Top scorers:Ivan Klasnic (Bolton) 4; Louis Saha (Everton) 7
Match odds:H 9-5 A 6-4 D 23-10
Referee:Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Liverpool (8) v Man Utd (1)
Reds boss Rafael Benitez will give groin victims Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson every chance to prove their fitness. Gerrard is the major concern but he received treatment today and that will continue right up until the game. Torres and Johnson are closer to being confirmed in the line-up but winger Albert Riera (hamstring) and defenders Martin Kelly (ankle) and Sotirios Kyrgiakos (knee) are out.
For United, Wayne Rooney remains a doubt with the calf injury which has sidelined him since England’s World Cup qualifier in Ukraine a fortnight ago, but Ryan Giggs is poised to return and Patrice Evra has overcome a heel problem. Darren Fletcher (groin) is another doubt while Park Ji-Sung (knee) is out.
Last season:Man Utd 1 Liverpool 4, Liverpool 2 Man Utd 1
Last five league matches:Liverpool W W W L L; Man Utd W W W D W
Top scorers:Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 8; Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 7
Match odds:H 15-8 A 6-4 D 11-5
Referee:Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
