Saturday, March 5
Arsenal (2) v Sunderland (8)
Arsenal will be without Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Alex Song (knee), and both midfielders are also doubtful for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona. Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny return to the squad, but Robin van Persie (knee), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) and Theo Walcott (ankle) have been ruled out.
Danny Welbeck could return to the Sunderland squad after recovering from the knee injury which has sidelined him for almost two months. Welbeck and Fraizer Campbell (knee) are expected to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly against West Ham next Tuesday. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon (knee) is unlikely to be fit to start, midfielders Boudewijn Zenden and Nedum Onuoha (both calf) are doubtful and Michael Turner, David Meyler (both knee) and Lee Cattermole (back) are ruled out.
Last season:
Arsenal 2 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Arsenal 0
Last five league matches:
Arsenal W W D W W; Sunderland W L L L L
Top scorers (all competitions):
Samir Nasri & Robin van Persie (Arsenal) 14; Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland) 10
Match odds:
H 4-9 A 6-1 D 10-3
Referee:
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Birmingham (16) v West Brom (17)
Birmingham midfielders Barry Ferguson and Craig Gardner are major injury doubts. Ferguson played the final hour of the Carling Cup win over Arsenal last weekend with a broken rib, while Gardner suffered a calf injury and was substituted early in the second half. Playmaker Alexander Hleb has not recovered from the knee injury which kept him out of the final, but winger David Bentley and defender Curtis Davies are available after being cup-tied at Wembley.
West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans is a major fitness doubt after suffering an ankle injury in training. Striker Peter Odemwingie suffered a knock to his ankle during the 1-1 draw at Stoke on Monday but returned to training today and should be fit to feature.
Last season:
No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:
Birmingham L D W W L; West Brom D L D D D
Top scorers (all competitions)
: Nikola Zigic (Birmingham) 8; Peter Odemwingie (West Brom) 9
Match odds:
H 13-10 A 11-5 D 11-5
Referee
: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
Bolton (7) v Aston Villa (12)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has no fresh injury worries and will pick from the same squad of players he had available for last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle. Defender Jlloyd Samuel is closing in on a return following a six-month lay-off with a ruptured thigh, but requires at least another reserve game before he can be added to the squad.
Aston Villa will make a late check on the fitness of centre-back James Collins who has been sidelined with a calf injury. Villa need him to be available as Richard Dunne (shoulder) and Carlos Cuellar (hamstring) are ruled out. Left-back Nathan Baker should return after missing Wednesday’s FA Cup defeat at Manchester City through a bout of concussion, and record signing Darren Bent will be available after being cup-tied for the Eastlands match.
Last season:
Bolton 0 Aston Villa 1, Aston Villa 5 Bolton 1
Last five league matches:
Bolton L W L W D; Aston Villa W L D D W
Top scorers (all competitions):
Johan Elmander (Bolton) 10; Darren Bent (Aston Villa) 13 (11 for Sunderland), Ashley Young 8
Match odds:
H 5-4 A 11-5 D 23-10
Referee
: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Fulham (13) v Blackburn (14)
Fulham will be boosted by the return of Bobby Zamora who missed last weekend’s match at Manchester City after going over on his ankle in training just days after making his comeback from a broken leg. Midfielder Steve Sidwell continues to miss out with knee ligament trouble, while long-term absentee Philippe Senderos needs more work after feeling tightness in his hamstrings.
Former Barcelona B striker Ruben Rochina is named in the Blackburn squad for the first time and could be involved, with Roque Santa Cruz doubtful because of a back problem. Defender Christopher Samba returns after a virus while forward Junior Hoilett is expected to recover from a hamstring strain. Ryan Nelsen (suspension) and David Dunn (hip injury) are both ruled out.
Last season:
Blackburn 2 Fulham 0, Fulham 3 Blackburn 0
Last five league matches: Fulham L W D D D; Blackburn W L L D L
Top scorers (all competitions):
Clint Dempsey (Fulham) 10; Mame Biram Diouf & Nikola Kalinic (Blackburn) 6
Match odds:
H 8-11 A 4-1 D 13-5
Referee
: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
Manchester City (3) v Wigan (20)
Kolo Toure will be the notable absentee tomorrow for Manchester City. The defender is suspended pending a full inquiry into his failed drugs test. Vincent Kompany is expected to return in central defence following a hip problem, while midfielder Nigel de Jong may be fit to claim a place on the bench after a six-game absence with an ankle injury.
Defender Emmerson Boyce is Wigan’s only major absentee, due to hamstring trouble. On-loan midfielder Tom Cleverley is back in contention after being ineligible to face parent club Manchester United last weekend and January signing Conor Sammon could make his debut for the relegation-threatened Latics.
Last season:
Man City 3 Wigan 0, Wigan 1 Man City 1
Last five league matches:
Man City L D W L D; Wigan L D W D L
Top scorers (all competitions)
: Carlos Tevez (Man City) 21; Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) 7
Match odds:
H 2-5 A 15-2 D 10-3
Referee
: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Newcastle (9) v Everton (11)
Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi could return after a month out with a fractured cheekbone, having trained wearing a protective mask. Danny Guthrie has shaken off a hamstring problem, but midfield colleague Joey Barton is rated at 50-50 due to a thigh strain. Loan signing Stephen Ireland also has a thigh problem, Ryan Taylor is suspended after his red card against Bolton, while Dan Gosling (knee), Alan Smith (ankle) and Hatem Ben Arfa (broken leg) remain absent.
Everton will be without midfielders Marouane Fellaini (ankle) and Tim Cahill (foot). Fellaini will miss the rest of the season and Cahill is out for up to three weeks. Manager David Moyes reports “one or two other knocks and bruises”. Striker Jermaine Beckford could start after his late arrival for the midweek FA Cup game against Reading limited him to a substitute’s role.
Last season:
No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:
Newcastle L D D W D; Everton D L W L W
Top scorers (all competitions):
Kevin Nolan (Newcastle) 11; Tim Cahill & Louis Saha (Everton) 9
Match odds
: H 13-8 A 9-5 D 21-10
Referee:
Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
West Ham (19) v Stoke (10)
West Ham have no fresh injury worries and Demba Ba is expected to lead their attack having netted three goals in as many games. Junior Stanislas (hernia) is doubtful while Jack Collison (knee), Kieron Dyer and striker Robbie Keane (both thigh) remain out although all are closing on a return.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis will monitor the fitness of wingers Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant. Etherington could return after a back problem while Pennant suffered a hamstring strain in the draw with West Brom on Monday. Abdoulaye Faye remains doubtful with a hamstring injury and Mamady Sidibe is out
with a ruptured Achilles.
Last season
: West Ham 0 Stoke 1, Stoke 2 West Ham 1
Last five league matches:
West Ham D W L D W; Stoke L W L L D
Top scorers (all competitions):
Carlton Cole (West Ham) 11; Robert Huth, Kenwyne Jones & Jonathan Walters (Stoke) 7
Match odds
: H 5-4 A 9-4 D 9-4
Referee
: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
Sunday, March 6
Liverpool (6) v Manchester United (1)
Liverpool’s record signing Andy Carroll could make his debut after recovering from the thigh injury which has sidelined him since late December. Defenders Daniel Agger and Fabio Aurelio (both thigh) are set to return after missing last weekend’s defeat at West Ham, while midfielder Raul Meireles should be fit after a minor knee problem. Martin Kelly has been ruled out for a month with a hamstring tear so Glen Johnson is set to start at right-back.
Wes Brown is set to make only his third Premier League start of the season for Manchester United. He should partner Chris Smalling in central defence, as captain Nemanja Vidic is suspended and Rio Ferdinand has still to recover from a calf injury. Otherwise, Sir Alex Ferguson looks set to rely on the players who performed well in the first half at Chelsea only to suffer their second defeat of the season thanks to two second-half strikes.
Last season:
Man Utd 2 Liverpool 1, Liverpool 2 Man Utd 0
Last five league matches:
Liverpool W W W D L; Man Utd W L W W L
Top scorers (all competitions)
: Raul Meireles (Liverpool) 5; Dimitar Berbatov (Man Utd) 20
Match odds:
H 9-5 A 13-8 D 21-10
Referee
: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Wolves (18) v Tottenham (5)
Wolves have concerns over Dave Edwards and Dave Jones who both have leg injuries. Steven Mouyokolo is out after hurting his knee in training today. Ronald Zubar is also out with a sore back, while Stephen Hunt has not recovered from a calf strain. Long-term absentee Michael Kightly played 45 minutes of a reserve match on Thursday, but no date has been set for his first-team return, and on-loan midfielder Jamie O’Hara is ineligible to play against his parent
club.
Tottenham’s Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart are unavailable as they continue to recover from back and calf injuries respectively. Ledley King is back in training after his groin injury but is unlikely to play, while Vedran Corluka (ankle), Jonathan Woodgate (groin), Younes Kaboul (knee) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) remain sidelined. Jermain Defoe is available after recovering from a minor ankle injury.
Last season
: Wolves 1 Tottenham 0, Tottenham 0 Wolves 1
Last five league matches:
Wolves L W L D W; Tottenham D W W W L
Top scorers (all competitions):
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle (Wolves) 6; Rafael Van der Vaart (Tottenham) 12
Match odds:
H 19-10 A 29-20 D 9-4
Referee:
Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
Monday, March 7
Blackpool (15) v Chelsea (4)
Blackpool will be without top-scorer DJ Campbell and captain Charlie Adam. Campbell begins a three-match suspension after his red card at Wolves last Saturday, while Adam serves the second match of his two-game ban. Defender Stephen Crainey is in line to return after an ankle injury, and midfielder Elliot Grandin, absent for the last two games with a hamstring problem, has an outside chance of being involved. Gary Taylor-Fletcher (hamstring) and Matt Gilks (knee) are ruled out.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is optimistic David Luiz and John Obi Mikel will be fit. Luiz has not trained since Tuesday’s win over Manchester United after straining a hamstring, while Mikel hurt his knee during the warm-up for that game. Alex (knee) and Yossi Benayoun (Achilles) are both closing in on their returns from long-term injuries but will not be involved.
Last season
: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:
Blackpool L L D W L; Chelsea W W L D W
Top scorers (all competitions)
: DJ Campbell (Blackpool) 10; Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) 16
Match odds:
H 8-1 A 1-3 D 4-1
Referee
: Mike Dean (Wirral)
