Saturday, November 25th

Aston Villa (5) v Middlesbrough (14)

Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton is a doubt with a calf muscle problem so Milan Baros stands by to come in. The midfield duo of Gavin McCann and Stiliyan Petrov are available after missing the goalless draw at Wigan through suspension and a hamstring injury respectively. Defender Aaron Hughes has recovered from a groin problem.

England winger Stewart Downing is rated at only 50-50 as the 22-year-old is still recovering from the groin problem which kept him out of last weekend's 0-0 draw with Liverpool. Skipper George Boateng should make it after limping off with a knock against the Reds and Andrew Davies (ankle) is expected to be fit, but Mark Viduka (broken toes) and Stuart Parnaby (foot) remain on the sidelines.
Last season: Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 4, Aston Villa 2 Middlesbrough 3
Last five league matches: Aston Villa D L W W D; Middlesbrough W L L W D
Top scorers: Juan Pablo Angel (Aston Villa) 6; Yakubu (Middlesbrough) 4
Match odds: H 4-6 A 7-2 D 23-10
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).

Bolton (6) v Arsenal (4)

Captain Kevin Nolan returns to the Bolton squad after missing last weekend's defeat at Everton to attend the birth of his first child. Quinton Fortune is also available after a recent groin injury but Ricardo Gardner requires at least one more game before he can be considered after making a reserve team appearance this week following seven months out with a knee injury.

Thierry Henry has been ruled out for Arsenal because of neck injury. Fellow forward Robin van Persie is suspended following a fifth yellow card of the season against Liverpool. Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and defender William Gallas
(thigh) are both making good progress, but will not yet be available.
Last season: Arsenal 1 Bolton 1, Bolton 2 Arsenal 0
Last five league matches: Bolton W L L D L; Arsenal W D L W D
Top scorers: Ivan Campo, El-Hadji Diouf (Bolton) 4; Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 7
Match odds: H 23-10 A 1-1 D 21-10
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).

Charlton (20) v Everton (7)

Charlton look set to again be without striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Full-back Djimi Traore is in contention after his recovery from a broken leg and midfielder Amady Faye returns from suspension, but defender Souleymane Diawara (hamstring) remains a doubt.

Everton will have James McFadden back from a two-match suspension and manager David Moyes can pair either him or James Beattie with Andrew Johnson in attack. Simon Davies is back from a thigh injury but Everton are without long-term injury victims Tim Cahill, Tony Hibbert, Alessandro Pistone and Gary Naysmith.
Last season: Charlton 0 Everton 0, Everton 3 Charlton 1
Last five league matches: Charlton D D W L L; Everton W D L L W
Top scorers: Darren Bent (Charlton) 8; Tim Cahill (Everton) 7
Match odds: H 6-4 A 6-4 D 21-10
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).

Fulham (11) v Reading (8)

Midfielder Michael Brown is close to a recall to the Fulham starting line-up after a stint on the sidelines with an ankle injury. Papa Bouba Diop is a slight doubt with a thigh problem. Midfielder Simon Elliott is set to miss up to four months after an Achilles problem was diagnosed.

Reading have no new injury worries after winger Glen Little shrugged off the foot problem that forced him to miss training earlier in the week. Winger Bobby Convey remains absent as he has yet to return from the United States, where he has been recovering from a knee injury.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Fulham D L W D L; Reading L L L W W
Top scorers: Brian McBride (Fulham) 3; Kevin Doyle (Reading) 6
Match odds: H 23-20 A 2-1 D 21-10
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).

Liverpool (10) v Man City (12)

Rafael Benitez expects to have Craig Bellamy in his squad for tomorrow's clash at Anfield. The Wales striker is involved in a court case in Cardiff but Benitez is blighted by a catalogue of injury problems and needs the player.

Dietmar Hamann returns to Manchester City's squad . He has finally recovered from a thigh injury that has kept him out for over a month, although the best the German can probably hope for is a place on the bench.
Last season: Liverpool 1 Man City 0, Man City 0 Liverpool 1
Last five league matches: Liverpool L W W L D; Man City L W L D W
Top scorers: Peter Crouch (Liverpool) 9; Georgios Samaras, Joey Barton (Man City) 3
Match odds: H 2-5 A 6-1 D 11-4
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).

West Ham (16) v Sheff Utd (18)

Boss Alan Pardew has no new injury worries and is likely to name an unchanged team for West Ham's first game since Icelander Eggert Magnusson's £85million takeover this week.

Sheffield United defender Leigh Bromby, who has missed the last four weeks with a hamstring strain, could step into the squad as David Sommeil is out with an ankle problem. Manager Neil Warnock is still without a number of key players in Danny Webber (hamstring), Michael Tonge (ankle) and Chris Armstrong (knee).
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: West Ham L W W L L; Sheff Utd L L W D L
Top scorers: Bobby Zamora (West Ham) 5; Rob Hulse (Sheff Utd) 4
Match odds: H 8-11 A 100-30 D 11-5
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).

Sunday, November 26th

Man Utd (1) v Chelsea (2)

Alex Ferguson has no fresh injury worries. Rio Ferdinand had been a doubt after picking up a minor foot injury in Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Celtic, but the Red Devils' record signing has been passed fit and will take his place in what could be an unchanged line-up.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho should have midfielder Michael Ballack (calf) and 14-goal striker Didier Drogba (ankle) fit. England midfielder Frank Lampard will return to the squad after missing the Werder Bremen game through suspension and centre-half Ricardo Carvalho has recovered from an ankle problem — but striker Salomon Kalou is still sidelined with a medial ligament injury.
Last season: Chelsea 3 Man Utd 0, Man Utd 1 Chelsea 0
Last five league matches: Man Utd W W W W W; Chelsea W W L W W
Top scorers: Louis Saha (Man Utd) 8; Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 14
Match odds: H 13-10 A 2-1 D 9-5
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).

Newcastle (17) v Portsmouth (3)

Kieron Dyer, Obafemi Martins and Scott Parker are set to return for Newcastle. Damien Duff (knee), Celestine Babayaro (groin), Olivier Bernard and Shola Ameobi (both hip), Michael Owen (knee) and Craig Moore (hamstring) are out but Stephen Carr could return from a foot injury. Nicky Butt and Emre should shake off knocks and Giuseppe Rossi is available after being ineligible for the UEFA Cup.

Midfielder Gary O'Neil (thigh) and striker Benjani Mwaruwari (knee) are fit to return to the Portsmouth squad. but Matt Taylor is still a doubt after suffering a virus and skipper Dejan Stefanovic will continue at left-back. Striker Andy Cole has an Achilles injury and could be out for a few weeks.
Last season: Newcastle 2 Portsmouth 0, Portsmouth 0 Newcastle 0
Last five league matches: Newcastle L D L D D; Portsmouth L W L D W
Top scorers: Shola Ameobi (Newcastle) 5; Kanu (Portsmouth) 8
Match odds: H 6-5 A 15-8 D 21-10
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).

Tottenham (13) v Wigan (9)

Jermaine Jenas has a calf injury and is a concern for Tottenham. Aaron Lennon, Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio made comebacks from injury in the UEFA Cup win against Bayer Leverkusen and they could feature at White Hart Lane against the Latics. Hossam Ghaly is banned after his sending off at Blackburn last week.

Wigan striker Emile Heskey is again a doubt after missing the last three weeks with a calf injury, and although back in training, is still not 100 per cent fit. Centre-back Fitz Hall is also struggling after five weeks out with an ankle problem, while left-back Leighton Baines is unlikely to play as he has a calf injury.
Last season: Tottenham 2 Wigan 2, Wigan 1 Tottenham 2
Last five league matches: Tottenham W D W L D; Wigan W W W W D
Top scorers: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 5; Henri Camara (Wigan) 4
Match odds: H 8-11 A 100-30 D 11-5
Referee: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).