Blackburn (7) v Man Utd (11)Rovers boss Paul Ince is close to having goalkeeper Paul Robinson (calf) and summer signing Vince Grella fully fit for action - but tomorrow's clash could be too early for both. Steven Reid is out with a knee problem, while Benni McCarthy is back in training but is unlikely to be sharp enough for the starting XI.
Wayne Rooney is a doubt for United after injuring his ankle in Aalborg on Tuesday. Captain Gary Neville is also a doubt with a slight thigh injury, while Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick join Paul Scholes (knee) on the sidelines.
Last season: Blackburn 1 Man Utd 1, Man Utd 2 Blackburn 0
Last five league matches: Blackburn D L L W W; Man Utd D W L D W
Top scorers: Matt Derbyshire (Blackburn) 3; Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Fletcher,
Cristiano Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 2
Match odds: H 5-1 A 4-7 D 14-5
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
Sunderland (13) v Arsenal (4)
Midfielder Liam Miller is struggling with a groin injury and could join Teemu Tainio (shoulder), Phil Bardsley (ankle) and Grant Leadbitter (broken nose) on the sidelines for Sunderland. Striker Kenwyne Jones (knee) is back in training, but is still some way away from a return.
Arsenal expect to have midfielder Alex Song available following a hip problem. The Gunners have no fresh injury worries but Abou Diaby (thigh) is a couple of weeks away from a return, while Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Amaury Bischoff (groin) and striker Eduardo (leg) all remain in recovery.
Last season: Sunderland 0 Arsenal 1, Arsenal 3 Sunderland 2
Last five league matches: Sunderland W L D W L; Arsenal L W W W L
Top scorers: Michael Chopra, Djibril Cisse & Anthony Stokes (Sunderland) 2;
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) 6
Match odds: H 5-1 A 4-7 D 14-5
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
West Brom (12) v Fulham (15)
Albion midfielder Kim Do-Heon is out with medial ligament damage - Ishmael Miller is in contention to replace him in the starting line-up. Chris Brunt, Abdoulaye Meite and Neil Clement are all out while Filipe Teixeira (knee) will not return, despite making a reserve team comeback after six months out.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will check on striker Bobby Zamora, who has been struggling with a cold, before finalising his line-up. Striker Andy Johnson is banned, so Seol Ki-Hyeon, Clint Dempsey and Erik Nevland. are in contention. Right-back Fredrik Stoor and on-loan Coventry midfielder Julian Gray are in the squad.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: West Brom L D W L W; Fulham L W W L L
Top scorers: Roman Bednar & James Morrison (West Brom) 2; Zoltan Gera & Danny
Murphy (Fulham) 2
Match odds: H 6-5 A 23-10 D 23-10
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Wigan (10) v Middlesbrough (16)
Lee Cattermole (hamstring) is battling to face Boro after leaving his hometown club this summer - Michael Brown is on stand-by. Olivier Kapo is hoping to keep his place on the left of Wigan's midfield, while full-back Erik Edman is nearing a return from a long-term knee injury.
Boro full-back Andrew Taylor is a doubt with a hip flexor problem, while central defender Robert Huth has an ankle injury, so Jonathan Grounds has been recalled from his loan spell at Norwich. Midfielder Gary O'Neil is ill and will be assessed after training. Skipper Emanuel Pogatetz is suspended, while Tuncay Sanli (knee) is a long-term absentee and Julio Arca (ankle) has returned to Argentina to see a specialist.
Last season: Middlesbrough 1 Wigan 0, Wigan 1 Middlesbrough 0
Last five league matches: Wigan L W D D W; Middlesbrough L W L L L
Top scorers: Amr Zaki (Wigan) 6; Mido (Middlesbrough) 4
Match odds: H 11-10 A 13-5 D 9-4
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).
Sunday, October 5th
Chelsea (1) v Aston Villa (3)
Didier Drogba's knee injury sees the striker join Deco (thigh), Ricardo Carvalho (knee) and Michael Essien (knee) on the sidelines. Ashley Cole (back), Joe Cole (hip), Alex (buttock) and John Terry (back) all are hopeful of being fit but may require late checks.
Villa strikers John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor are fit after groin and thigh problems respectively. Boss Martin O'Neill is set to revert to the same line-up which has featured in the previous six league games this season - meaning recalls for Martin Laursen, Curtis Davies, Gareth Barry and Nigel Reo-Coker.
Last season: Chelsea 4 Aston Villa 4, Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 0
Last five league matches: Chelsea W D W D W; Aston Villa L D W W W
Top scorers: Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 5; Gabriel Agbonlahor & John Carew (Aston
Villa) 5
Match odds: H 4-9 A 13-2 D 16-5
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Everton (14) v Newcastle (19)
Everton's Tim Cahill is suspended and there are also slight doubts over Phil Neville and Louis Saha, who picked up knocks in the UEFA Cup defeat at Standard Liege. Tony Hibbert suffered severe cramp in the same match but is expected to be fit.
Midfielder Danny Guthrie is ban-free, while full-backs Jose Enrique (hamstring) and Habib Beye (Achilles) may be in the squad. Jonas Gutierrez (fractured collarbone), Mark Viduka (Achilles), Alan Smith (stress fracture), Ignacio Gonzalez (hamstring) and Joey Barton (ban) are out.
Last season: Everton 3 Newcastle 1, Newcastle 3 Everton 2
Last five league matches: Everton W L W D L; Newcastle W L L L L
Top scorers: Ayegbeni Yakubu (Everton) 4; Michael Owen (Newcastle) 5
Match odds: H 3-4 A 4-1 D 12-5
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
Man City (8) v Liverpool (2)
City manager Mark Hughes will monitor the fitness of defender Richard Dunne (hamstring) but winger Martin Petrov has recovered from a similar problem and is pushing for a place in the starting line-up.
Javier Mascherano is set to start for Liverpool, having been rested for the Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek. Ryan Babel (leg) and Fernando Torres (calf) are expected to shake off knocks.
Last season: Liverpool 1 Man City 0, Man City 0 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Man City W W L W L; Liverpool W D W D W
Top scorers: Elano, Jo & Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City) 3; Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 4
Match odds: H 9-4 A 5-4 D 9-4
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
