Saturday, March 20th
Arsenal (1) v Bolton (13)
Dennis Bergkamp and Fredrik Ljungberg have recovered from rib and abdominal injuries respectively, while Jeremie Aliadiere is also back in the Arsenal squad after a thigh injury. Ray Parlour (knee), Sylvain Wiltord (ankle) and Philippe Senderos (foot) remain long-term injury absentees.
Youri Djorkaeff will miss his second successive match with a hamstring injury so Henrik Pedersen will continue up front for Bolton alongside Kevin Davies.
Last season: Bolton 2 Arsenal 2, Arsenal 2 Bolton 1
Last five league matches: Arsenal W W W W W; Bolton D D L L L
Top scorers: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 30; Kevin Nolan (Bolton) 10
Match odds: H 2-9 A 17-2 D 4-1
Referee: G Barber (Hertfordshire).
Aston Villa (8) v Blackburn (16)
Gavin McCann's hopes of returning to the Villa side have been ended by an ankle injury sustained in training this morning. Mark Delaney (foot) and Marcus Allback (groin) are still recovering from injuries and are not available for selection.
Jon Stead returns after three weeks out with a hamstring injury while Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke are in the squad despite the pair's disagreement with manager Graeme Souness this week. Lorenzo Amoruso is also included after several months out and skipper Garry Flitcroft (hamstring) should be in the starting
line-up.
Last season: Aston Villa 3 Blackburn 0, Blackburn 0 Aston Villa 0
Last five league matches: Aston Villa W W D L W; Blackburn W D L D L
Top scorers: Juan Pablo Angel (Aston Villa) 20; Andy Cole (Blackburn) 9
Match odds: H 4-5 A 11-4 D 23-10
Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).
Chelsea (2) v Fulham (9)
Third-choice goalkeeper Marco Ambrosio will continue between the sticks because of Carlo Cudicini's broken hand and Neil Sullivan's severely bruised leg. Claude Makelele (thigh) is back but Glen Johnson (ankle) is still out, as are long-term absentees Juan Sebastian Veron, Emmanuel Petit and Mario Stanic.
Fulham skipper Lee Clark is sidelined with a calf problem but reserve goalkeeper Mark Crossley is expected to shake off a back niggle sustained in training yesterday. First-choice left-back Carlos Bocanegra has finished his three-match ban, meaning youngster Adam Green is likely to drop out of the
starting XI.
Last season: Chelsea 1 Fulham 1, Fulham 0 Chelsea 0
Last five league matches: Chelsea W W L W W; Fulham D L L D W
Top scorers: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea) 13; Luis Boa Morte (Fulham) 9
Match odds: H 4-9 A 11-2 D 13-5
Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).
Leicester (17) v Everton (14)
Paul Dickov is poised to return to action for the first time since the ill-fated La Manga affair which led to him, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie being charged with sexual aggression. Boss Micky Adams is still deciding whether to involve Sinclair and Gillespie, who have only had a bit part to play all season. Steve Guppy and Callum Davidson are back in contention after injury with Jordan Stewart the only injury casualty and James Scowcroft suspended.
Everton have doubts over skipper Duncan Ferguson and full-back Alessandro Pistone, both with hamstring trouble, while winger Kevin Kilbane is out for family reasons. Thomas Gravesen returns to the squad after suspension, James McFadden could play in place of Kilbane, while Tomasz Radzinski or Kevin Campbell stand by to come in if Ferguson fails to make it.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Leicester L D D D W; Everton L L D W W
Top scorers: Les Ferdinand (Leicester) 12; Duncan Ferguson (Everton) 8
Match odds: H 11-8 A 17-10 D 2-1
Referee: B Knight (Kent).
Liverpool (5) v Wolves (19)
Gerard Houllier is likely to name an unchanged side, with John Arne Riise holding his place at left-back and Igor Biscan keeping out Stephane Henchoz in defence. Influential skipper Steven Gerrard is expected to recover from an ankle injury but Steve Finnan (shoulder), Florent Sinama-Pongolle (ankle), Anthony Le Tallec (ankle), Vladimir Smicer (Achilles), Chris Kirkland (broken wrist) and Salif Diao (calf) are out.
Colin Cameron is Wolves' only doubt after injuring a hamstring in the midweek reserve win over Bolton - he will require a late fitness test. Boss Dave Jones is expected to make changes after the 4-0 Molineux mauling by Aston Villa, with Steffen Iversen pushing to replace the ineffective Carl Cort up front.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Liverpool D W D L W; Wolves L L W D L
Top scorers: Michael Owen (Liverpool) 14; Alex Rae (Wolves) 8
Match odds: H 4-11 A 7-1 D 11-4
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).
Man Utd (3) v Tottenham (10)
Alex Ferguson is without Roy Keane (hamstring), Louis Saha (Achilles) and Cristiano Ronaldo (thigh), while Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson have unspecified injuries. Mikael Silvestre (knee) is available - but Gary Neville serves the final game of a four-match ban, while Rio Ferdinand sits out the 12th match of a suspension which was yesterday confirmed at eight months by an independent appeals panel in London.
Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp could be in line for his first senior start since September after a knee injury, and looked sharp. He suffered no reaction and could get the nod in midfield. Welsh international Simon Davies remains the only doubt as he is suffering from a thigh injury.
Last season: Tottenham 0 Man Utd 2, Man Utd 1 Tottenham 0
Last five league matches: Man Utd W L D D L; Tottenham W W D L W
Top scorers: Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) 26; Robbie Keane (Tottenham) 14
Match odds: H 4-9 A 11-2 D 13-5
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
Middlesbrough (12) v Birmingham (7)
Bolo Zenden and George Boateng are suspended but defender Danny Mills returns from a two-match ban and should take over the right-back spot from Stuart Parnaby. Boss Steve McClaren might consider starting with Szilard Nemeth, who scored as a sub at Birmingham earlier this month and again against Tottenham.
Martin Grainger is poised to make his first Blues start because of a back injury to Olivier Tebily and will operate at left-back in a reshuffled back four. Matthew Upson's desire to play at centre-half is likely to be realised with Martin Taylor reverting to right-back, Robbie Savage starts a two-match ban for incurring 10 bookings this season but Damien Johnson is available after completing a one-game suspension.
Last season: Birmingham 3 Middlesbrough 0, Middlesbrough 1 Birmingham 0
Last five league matches: Middlesbrough W L L W L; Birmingham W D W W L
Top scorers: Juninho (Middlesbrough) 8; Mikael Forssell (Birmingham) 14
Match odds: H 5-4 A 9-5 D 21-10
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
Newcastle (6) v Charlton (4)
Craig Bellamy will be given a late fitness test before the game to assess the extent of the hamstring injury he damaged in Sunday's defeat at Tottenham. However, Newcastle's England midfielder Kieron Dyer has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Top scorer Jason Euell looks set to start for Charlton after two games out with knee trouble. Manager Alan Curbishley's big decision is how to replace defender Mark Fish, out for three weeks after needing 37 stitches in an abdominal wound he sustained falling on a glass table at home while playing with his son. Jon Fortune looks favourite to deputise but 20-year-old defender Michael Turner is also in the squad.
Last season: Charlton 0 Newcastle 2, Newcastle 2 Charlton 1
Last five league matches: Newcastle W D W D L; Charlton L L W L W
Top scorers: Alan Shearer (Newcastle) 20; Jason Euell (Charlton) 7
Match odds: H 4-6 A 23-10 D 7-2
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).
Sunday March 21st
Portsmouth (18) v Southampton (11)
Midfielder Eyal Berkovic will be recalled to face former club Southampton after being dropped for the midweek defeat at Liverpool. On-loan Chelsea midfielder Alexei Smertin is Pompey's only fresh injury concern after picking up a hamstring strain at Anfield. Nigel Quashie misses out because of a knee injury, while striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu is battling the fit again Svetoslav Todorov for a place in Pompey's attack.
Graeme Le Saux will miss out after failing to overcome a hamstring injury - Danny Higginbotham will return to the starting line-up. Midfielder Anders Svensson is set to start after impressing as a second-half substitute on Sunday with Scotland winger Neil McCann likely to drop to the bench.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Portsmouth L L D L L; Southampton D L D D W
Top scorers: Teddy Sheringham, Aiyegbeni Yakubu (Portsmouth) 8; James Beattie
(Southampton) 13
Match odds: H 7-5 A 8-5 D 21-10
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).