A preview of this weekend's Premier League fixtures
Saturday, October 25
Blackburn (9) v Middlesbrough (13)
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is still troubled by a hamstring injury which caused him to miss the goalless draw at Bolton last weekend and is rated doubtful. Defender Christopher Samba is expected to shake off a knock suffered in that match after colliding with a post.
Turkey international Tuncay Sanli is expected to return to the Middlesbrough squad, having been sidelined since mid-September with a knee ligament injury. Captain Emanuel Pogatetz comes back into the team after serving a suspension, while Afonso Alves and Didier Digard are set for recalls.
Last season:Blackburn 1 Middlesbrough 1, Middlesbrough 1 Blackburn 2
Last five league matches:Blackburn L W W L D; Middlesbrough L L L W L
Top scorers:Matt Derbyshire (Blackburn) 3; Mido (Middlesbrough) 4
Match odds:H 21-20 A 13-5 D 23-10
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
Everton (16) v Man Utd (5)
Everton full-back Tony Hibbert will have to undergo a fitness test on a sore ankle. Fellow defender Joseph Yobo has returned to full strength following illness and Victor Anichebe is also fit, having managed to shrug off a hamstring complaint. Tim Cahill remains suspended following his red card in the Merseyside derby almost a month ago.
Rio Ferdinand (groin) and Patrice Evra (hamstring) will return for Manchester United after missing the Champions League win over Celtic. Dimitar Berbatov (hip) and Cristiano Ronaldo (knee) have recovered from minor knocks and will play, while Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves (both knee) are out.
Last season:Man Utd 2 Everton 1, Everton 0 Man Utd 1
Last five league matches:Everton W D L D L; Man Utd L D W W W
Top scorers:Ayegbeni Yakubu (Everton) 4; Dimitar Berbatov & Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 5
Match odds:H 11-2 A 8-15 D 14-5
Referee:Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
Sunderland (12) v Newcastle (19)
Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones has an outside chance of being involved almost five months after damaging knee ligaments, having made a midweek appearance for the reserves. Defender Nyron Nosworthy is back after recovering from a hamstring tear, while Dwight Yorke is over his gruelling international exploits with Trinidad and Tobago and Liam Miller is back from a groin problem.
Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt picked up a foot injury against Manchester City on Monday but is expected to be available. Striker Michael Owen (groin) is ruled out but full-back Habib Beye can play after winning an appeal against the red card he received against City. Midfielder Joey Barton will also be involved after serving his six-match ban.
Last season:Newcastle 2 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Newcastle 1
Last five league matches:Sunderland D W L D D; Newcastle L L L D D
Top scorers:Djibril Cisse & Michael Chopra (Sunderland) 2; Michael Owen (Newcastle) 5
Match odds:H 6-5 A 12-5 D 11-5
Referee:Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
West Brom (11) v Hull (3)
West Brom will again be without central defender Abdoulaye Meite (calf) who misses his sixth successive game. Midfielder Filipe Teixeira has had to put his comeback plans on hold again. After seven months out with knee ligament problems, a calf injury is delaying his first-team return.
Hull boss Phil Brown has close to a fully-fit squad with Craig Fagan (broken leg) the only player not to have trained this week. Record signing Anthony Gardner (thigh) is back in the squad and will travel but will not be rushed. Stelios Giannakopoulos and Nick Barmby will play in a training match on Monday.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:West Brom W L W W L; Hull W D W W W
Top scorers:Roman Bednar (West Brom) 3; Geovanni (Hull) 3
Match odds:H 23-20 A 12-5 D 23-10
Referee:Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
Sunday, October 26
Chelsea (1) v Liverpool (2)
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole could return after missing two matches with a hamstring injury. But manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is still without Didier Drogba (knee), Michael Ballack (foot), Joe Cole (foot) and Michael Essien (knee).
Liverpool expect Steven Gerrard, taken off against Atletico Madrid in midweek with "tiredness", to lead the side while Robbie Keane (groin) and Xabi Alonso (knee) should also feature. Striker Fernando Torres (hamstring) is losing his battle for fitness.
Last season:Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0, Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
Last five league matches:Chelsea W D W W W; Liverpool W D W W W
Top scorers:Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 6; Dirk Kuyt & Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 5
Match odds:H 10-11 A 10-3 D 11-5
Referee:Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
Man City (10) v Stoke (18)
Micah Richards suffered an ankle injury against Newcastle on Monday but there was no break and he could play against Stoke. Nedum Onuoha is on standby to deputise. Martin Petrov, Michael Johnson and Valeri Bojinov miss out through injury while Pablo Zabaleta is suspended.
Ryan Shawcross is likely to replace the injured Ibrahima Sonko in Stoke's defence. Striker Ricardo Fuller, who was restricted to a cameo appearance against Tottenham last week after international duty with Jamaica, is expected to start with either Mamady Sidibe or Dave Kitson demoted to the bench.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Man City L W L L D; Stoke L D L L W
Top scorers:Elano, Stephen Ireland & Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City) 4; Ricardo Fuller & Ibrahima Sonko (Stoke) 3
Match odds:H 4-9 A 6-1 D 10-3
Referee:Steve Tanner (Somerset).
Portsmouth (7) v Fulham (17)
Glen Johnson (pelvis) and Glen Little (torn hamstring) have joined the casualties list for Portsmouth. Winger Niko Kranjcar (ankle) is still out but midfielder Lassana Diarra could return after missing the last three games through suspension and a knee injury.
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is set to rely on the squad which drew 0-0 with Sunderland last Saturday. Danish midfielder Leon Andreasen, who was on the bench for that match, was sent home from training with a cold today but is expected to play.
Last season:Portsmouth 0 Fulham 1, Fulham 0 Portsmouth 2
Last five league matches:Portsmouth W L W W D; Fulham W L L L D
Top scorers:Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth) 6; Zoltan Gera & Danny Murphy (Fulham) 2
Match odds:H 5-6 A 18-5 D 23-10
Referee:Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Tottenham (20) v Bolton (15)
Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate is doubtful after being substitutedagainst Udinese with an apparent groin problem. Captain Ledley King struggles to play twice a week so is expected to miss out, Tom Huddlestone has been out with a knee complaint and Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale are suspended. Vedran Corluka (head) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (ankle) were ineligible for European duty but will need checks before returning.
Bolton manager Gary Megson has a near full-strength squad available. Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te, who has attracted interest from clubs eager to take him on loan, is nursing a knee injury.
Last season:Tottenham 1 Bolton 1, Bolton 1 Tottenham 1
Last five league matches:Tottenham L D L L L; Bolton L L L W D
Top scorers:Darren Bent (Tottenham) 4; Kevin Davies (Bolton) 4
Match odds:H 5-6 A 13-5 D 23-10
Referee:Andre Marriner (W Midlands).
West Ham (8) v Arsenal (4)
West Ham will be without midfielder Mark Noble after the England Under-21 midfielder suffered a torn calf in training earlier this week. But Lee Bowyer and James Collins will both be available for selection.
Arsenal will have both captain William Gallas (thigh) and fellow centre-half Kolo Toure (shoulder) back in their squad. Full-back Bacary Sagna (knee) also missed the Champions League win over Fenerbahce, and may again be absent. Abou Diaby is hoping to keep his place ahead of Robin van Persie after impressing in Turkey.
Last season:Arsenal 2 West Ham 0, West Ham 0 Arsenal 1
Last five league matches:West Ham L W W L L; Arsenal W W L D W
Top scorers:Carlton Cole (West Ham) 4; Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) 7
Match odds:H 4-1 A 4-7 D 5-2
Referee:Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
Wigan (14) v Aston Villa (6)
Wigan manager Steve Bruce is expecting Emile Heskey (hamstring) to be fit. Midfielder Antonio Valencia serves a ban following his dismissal at Liverpool last week, while Daniel de Ridder should keep his place in midfield after impressing on his first league start.
Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is doubtful after sustaining cuts to his knees yesterday following an injury-time collision with Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer. Fellow frontman John Carew should return to the starting line-up after missing the clash with Ajax through illness.
Last season:Aston Villa 0 Wigan 2, Wigan 1 Aston Villa 2
Last five league matches:Wigan D D W L L; Aston Villa W W W L D
Top scorers:Amr Zaki (Wigan) 8; Gabriel Agbonlahor & John Carew (Aston Villa) 5
Match odds:H 7-5 A 8-5 D 21-10
Referee:Michael Jones (Cheshire).