Advertisement
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Press Association Images
Team news

Previews: Who's in and out for this weekend's Premier League fixtures?

All the team news for this weekend’s Premier League games, as leaders Manchester City await the visit of Arsenal and Liverpool go to Villa Park…

Saturday:

Blackburn v West Brom, 15:00

Gael Givet is not expected to be fit to face West Brom as he undergoes further tests on the heart condition that forced him to leave the field against Sunderland.

The Frenchman could be facing a month out after his pulse raced to 250 against the Black Cats.

Martin Olsson and Junior Hoilett are also doubtful for Rovers with hamstring injuries, but Steven Nzonzi is back from suspension.

West Brom’s Shane Long has recovered from his recent groin problem but Steven Reid is doubtful to face his former club – he will have a fitness test on his knee injury before the game.

Teams:

Blackburn (from): Robinson, Bunn, Olsson, Samba, Lowe, Dann, Salgado, Givet, Hanley, Nzonzi, Rochina, Pedersen, Petrovic, Dunn, Hoilett, Yakubu, Goodwillie, Formica, Roberts, Vukcevic, Slew, Blackman, Henley.

West Brom (from): Foster, Fulop, Reid, Jones, Jara, Olsson, McAuley, Dawson, Tamas, Mattock, Shorey, Scharner, Brunt, Morrison, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Thomas, Tchoyi, Cox, Odemwingie, Long.

Everton v Norwich, 15:00

Jack Rodwell, Leon Osman (both hamstring) and Royston Drenthe (foot) all missed the defeat at Arsenal but could return for Saturday’s visit of Norwich.

Sylvain Distin, who made his first appearance in over a month as a substitute in that game, could also start.

James Vaughan – on loan at Norwich from the Toffees – Elliott Ward and Ritchie de Laet are all set to return in the coming weeks from long term injuries, but are not quite ready for consideration.

Teams:

Everton (from): Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov, Neville, Cahill, Fellaini, Coleman, Saha, Distin, Drenthe, Osman, McAleny, Barkley, Osman, Gueye, Mucha, Stracqualursi.

Norwich (from): Ruddy, Tierney, Whitbread, Martin, Naughton, Crofts, Johnson, Pilkington, Bennett, Hoolahan, Morison, Rudd, Barnett, Fox, Holt, Surman, Wilbraham, Jackson.

Fulham v Bolton, 15:00

Bobby Zamora is struggling with a knee injury and will be assessed before the match against Bolton at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Simon Davies (back), Steve Sidwell (hernia) and Mark Schwarzer (spine) are all definitely out.

Danny Murphy has recovered from an ankle problem, while Bryan Ruiz and Andy Johnson are back in contention after missing the Europa League draw with Odense through ineligibility and suspension.

Bolton striker Ivan Klasnic is fit again after recovering from a knee injury.

Nigel Reo-Coker could return from a hamstring complaint but David Wheater is unavailable again as he serves the third game of his four-match suspension.

Teams:

Fulham (from): Stockdale, Etheridge, Riise, Kelly, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Dembele, Briggs, Kasami, Duff, Murphy, Gecov, Etuhu, Ruiz, Dempsey, Frei, Zamora, Sa, Johnson.

Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Boyata, Cahill, Knight, Eagles, Robinson, Muamba, Petrov, K Davies, Klasnic, Tuncay, Bogdan, M Davies, Pratley, Ngog, Blake, Kakuta, Reo-Coker.

Newcastle v Swansea, 15:00

Alan Pardew will make a late judgement over three players before Saturday’s clash with Swansea at St. James’ Park.

Skipper Fabricio Coloccini (thigh), fellow central defender Mike Williamson (ankle) and midfielder Cheik Tiote (knee) could all feature.

Dan Gosling is suspended after being sent off at Norwich, while Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Danny Guthrie (groin) are both out.

Joe Allen is set to come back into the Swansea starting line-up after missing the Fulham game through suspension. He will replace Luke Moore, with Wayne Routledge keeping his place ahead of Nathan Dyer.

Danny Graham, having scored as a sub against Fulham, could replace Leroy Lita.

Teams:

Newcastle (from): Krul, Harper, Elliot, Simpson, R. Taylor, Santon, Ferguson, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Kadar, Tiote, Cabaye, Obertan, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Sammy Ameobi, Abeid, Vuckic, Smith, Ba, Best, Shola Ameobi, Lovenkrands.

Swansea (from): Vorm, Williams, Taylor, Caulker, Britton, Orlandi, Graham, Sinclair, Dyer, Dobbie, Routledge, Monk, Lita, Moore, Bessone, Allen, Tremmel, Agustien, Gower, Richards, Moras.

Wolverhampton v Stoke, 15:00

Wolves have minor injury concerns over Matt Jarvis and Dave Edwards for the clash with Stoke City at Molineux.

Jarvis has a thigh niggle, while Edwards is suffering with a sore groin.

Defender Jody Craddock (hamstring) and defender Kevin Foley (ankle) are unlikely to be available.

Ryan Shotton is expected to be preferred to Jermaine Pennant on Stoke’s right wing, as Tony Pulis reverts to the 11 players that defeated Tottenham last weekend.

Teams:

Wolves (from): Hennessey, De Vries, Stearman, Zubar, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Hammill, O’Hara, Hunt, Henry, Guedioura, Jarvis, Doyle, Doherty, Elokobi, Milijas, Edwards, Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher, Doherty, Craddock.

Stoke (from): Sorensen, Huth, Wilson, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Shotton, Woodgate, Whelan, Etherington, Whitehead, Walters, Crouch, Begovic, Upson, Delap, Fuller, Palacios, Jerome, Jones, Pennant, Diao.

Wigan v Chelsea, 17:30

Chelsea ‘defender’ David Luiz is back in contention after missing the win over Manchester City through suspension, while Michael Essien is set to return in a month’s time from a serious knee problem.

Wigan defender Antolin Alcaraz faces a fitness test after suffering rib injury against West Brom.

Emmerson Boyce, who has not featured for six weeks, could take his place.

Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has recovered from the back injury that cut short his spell on loan at Doncaster and could take his place on the bench.

Teams:

Wigan: Al Habsi, Boyce, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa, Watson, Diame, Moses, Gomez, McCarthy, Di Santo, Jones, Stam, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Lopez, Thomas, Sammon, Maloney, Crusat, Gohouri, Rodallega, McCarthy, Pollitt, Kirkland.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Romeu, Ramires, Lampard, McEachran, Mata, Malouda, Meireles, Torres, Drogba, Kalou, Sturridge, Lukaku, Turnbull.

Sunday:

QPR v Man Utd, 12:00

Dimitar Berbatov returns for Manchester United’s trip to play QPR at Loftus Road on Sunday, having missed the last three games with an ankle injury.

Berbatov’s fellow bench warmer Darron Gibson is also a doubt, while Darren Fletcher begins his time out of the game in a bid to overcome a chronic bowel condition.

QPR’s Anton Ferdinand will miss the game after suffering a hamstring problem against Liverpool, while Kieron Dyer is likely to be out for the season with a foot injury.

Fitz Hall (hamstring) and Matthew Connolly (ankle) return, as does DJ Campbell (foot).

Teams:

QPR (from): Cerny, Putnins, Hall, Gabbidon, Connolly, Taarabt, Traore, Bothroyd, Faurlin, Barton, Orr, Buzsaky, Young, Smith, Helguson, Wright-Phillips, Puncheon, Campbell.

Man United (from): De Gea, Lindegaard, Amos, Evans, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evra, Jones, Fryers, Cole, Carrick, Young, Valencia, Park, Gibson, Nani, Giggs, Macheda, Rooney, Welbeck, Berbatov, Diouf.

Aston Villa v Liverpool, 14:05

Gabriel Agbonlahor will miss Aston Villa’s clash with Liverpool at Villa Park on Sunday, as he serves a one game suspension for five yellow cards.

Former Red Emile Heskey could partner Darren Bent up front.

Fabian Delph is available again after missing the win over Bolton.

Jordan Henderson is set to play in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield alongside Charlie Adam. Jay Spearing is suspended, Steven Gerrard has not recovered from his ankle problem and Lucas is out for the season.

Maxi Rodriguez is eyeing successive league starts for the first time since May, while Stewart Downing faces the club he left in the summer.

Teams:

Aston Villa (from): Guzan, Hutton, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Clark, Warnock, Beye, Herd, Delph, Bannan, Petrov, Ireland, Albrighton, Bent, Heskey, Delfouneso, N’Zogbia, Weimann, Marshall.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Kuyt, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Suarez, Rodriguez, Doni, Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Shelvey, Coady, Bellamy, Carroll.

Tottenham v Sunderland, 15:00

Younes Kaboul misses Spurs’ clash with Sunderland at White Hart Lane after he was sent off against Stoke last weekend.

Scott Parker, Luka Modric, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker will all return after being rested for the Europa League win over Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Thursday.

Niko Kranjcar, Sandro and Steven Pienaar are all in contention after recovering from injuries, while Ledley King’s fitness will be tested before the game. Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Michael Dawson (Achilles) remain out.

Lee Cattermole, Nicklas Bendtner and Craig Gardner all come back into contention for Martin O’Neill’s side, but Simon Mignolet and Michael Turner are still out.

Keeper Craig Gordon played in a training ground game earlier in the week, as did striker Fraizer Campbell (knee), but both players are not yet ready for a first team return.

Teams:

Tottenham (from): Gomes, Friedel, Cudicini, Bale, Corluka, Bassong, Rose, Gallas, King, Walker, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Modric, Livermore, Townsend, Carroll, Fredericks, Lennon, Falque, Sandro, Pienaar, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Dos Santos, Adebayor, Van der Vaart, Kane.

Sunderland (from): Westwood, Carson, O’Shea, Bardsley, Brown, Bramble, Laing, Cattermole, Richardson, Gardner, Vaughan, Larsson, Colback, Elmohamady, McClean, Meyler, Sessegnon, Bendtner, Ji, R Noble.

Man City v Arsenal, 16:10

Manchester City are missing Gael Clichy (suspended) and Aleksandar Kolarov (groin) so Pablo Zabaleta will switch to left-back against Arsenal on Sunday.

Fit again Micah Richards returns at right-back.

Roberto Mancini has no other injury concerns.

Arsenal face a crisis at full-back, with Andre Santos, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson and Bacary Sagna all ruled out. Gibbs is recovering well from his hernia problem and could play over the Christmas period, while Lukasz Fabianski (knee) and Vito Mannone (shoulder), and midfielders Abou Diaby (hamstring) and Ryo Miyaichi (ankle), are all out.

Teams:

Man City (from): Hart, Richards, Lescott, Kompany, Savic, K Toure, Zabaleta, Milner, Johnson, De Jong, Barry, Y Toure, Hargreaves, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Balotelli, Aguero, Pantilimon.

Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Djourou, Song, Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott, Gervinho, van Persie, Almunia, Miguel, Benayoun, Frimpong, Arshavin, Chamakh, Coquelin, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain.

WATCH: Flannery expects Munster to keep up good work >