Ashley Cole is still suspended, with Gael Clichy again set to replace him at left-back, while Lauren will either return to start against Wolves on Boxing Day or Southampton three days later.
For Wolves, Denis Irwin is struggling to shake off a hamstring problem. Nathan Blake is still a doubt with a calf injury picked up in the defeat at Tottenham earlier this month.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Arsenal W D D W D; Wolverhampton D L D L L
Top scorers: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 14; Alex Rae (Wolverhampton) 6
Match odds:H 1-8 A 14-1 D 5-1
Referee: S Bennett (Kent)
Birmingham (8) v Man City (11)
Birmingham striker Christophe Dugarry is suspended and injured but defender Jamie Clapham (hamstring) will hope to maintain his 100% appearance record since his move from Ipswich 11 months ago.
Antoine Sibierski's equaliser against Leeds has put him in line for a starting spot for City, while Paulo Wanchope and Jon Macken also impressed as late substitutes.
Last season:Man City 1 Birmingham 0; Birmingham 0 Man City 2
Last five league matches:Birmingham D L L L W; Man City L L D L D
Top scorers: Mikael Forssell (Birmingham) 7; Nicolas Anelka (Man City) 11
Match odds: H 11-10 A 2-1 D 11-5
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire)
Blackburn (16) v Middlesbrough (13)
Blackburn midfielder Steven Reid has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and could also miss the game with Newcastle. David Thompson, Lorenzo Amoruso and Alan Kelly are all sidelined with long-term injuries.
Brazilian midfielder Doriva (ankle) will miss out again and could be sidelined for a further fortnight. Jonathan Greening has recovered from illness but keeper Carlo Nash (hand) is still struggling and Brad Jones is likely to deputise for Mark Schwarzer again.
Last season:Blackburn 1 Middlesbrough 0; Middlesbrough 1 Blackburn 0
Last five league matches: Blackburn L W W L L; Middlesbrough W D W D D
Top scorers: Andy Cole (Blackburn) 5; Szilard Nemeth (Middlesbrough) 3
Match odds: H 11-10 A 21-10 D 21-10
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire)
Charlton (7) v Chelsea (3)
Charlton centre-back Mark Fish is fit again after a fortnight out with a groin injury and could replace either Chris Perry or Jon Fortune. Striker Jonatan Johansson is back from his thigh injury but Shaun Bartlett, Luke Young (both ankle), Richard Rufus, Gary Rowett (both knee) and Kevin Lisbie (back) are all still sidelined.
Chelsea are without Damien Duff but boss Claudio Ranieri has Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink back from his one-match ban. Eidur Gudjohnsen, Juan Sebastian Veron and Emmanuel Petit are still expected to miss out with their respective ankle, back and knee injuries.
Last season:Chelsea 4 Charlton 1; Charlton 2 Chelsea 3
Last five league matches:Charlton D L L D D; Chelsea W W D L W
Top scorers: Kevin Lisbie (Charlton) 5; Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea) 10
Match odds: H 4-1 A 8-13 D 23-10
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire)
Fulham (5) v Southampton (4)
Fulham midfielder Sean Davis is rated very doubtful after limping off with a hamstring injury, although he should recover in time for the match against Aston Villa two days later. Mark Pembridge continues to be troubled by his calf problem with his rehabilitation taking longer than expected while Jerome Bonnissel is likely to be back in contention after recovering from a leg injury.
Marian Pahars is expected to line up in an unchanged Southampton team. Danny Higginbotham is set to deputise again for Graeme Le Saux. Saints manager Gordon Strachan's team go in search of their fourth successive league win, a record which has already taken them to fourth place in the Barclaycard Premiership table.
Last season: Fulham 2 Southampton 2; Southampton 4 Fulham 2
Last five league matches:Fulham W D W L L; Southampton L L W W W
Top scorers:Louis Saha (Fulham) 10; James Beattie (Southampton) 11
Match odds: H 11-10 A 21-10 D 21-10
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire)
Leeds (19) v Aston Villa (14)
Matthew Kilgallon could come in for Leeds for Lucas Radebe, who has a hamstring injury. Kilgallon, 19, is now poised for his first Barclaycard Premiership start after making just four substitute appearances to date, with his debut more than 13 months ago.
Villa boss David O'Leary has a full squad at his disposal for his return to his former club. He has to decide whether to persevere with youngster Stefan Moore - on target at Blackburn - in preference to England striker Darius Vassell.
Last season: Leeds 3 Aston Villa 1; Aston Villa 0 Leeds 0
Last five league matches: Leeds L W D W D; Aston Villa L W L W W
Top scorers: Alan Smith (Leeds) 5; Juan Pablo Angel (Aston Villa) 12
Match odds: H 6-5 A 7-4 D 9-4
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire)
Leicester (17) v Newcastle (6)
Leicester are waiting on the fitness of central defender Steve Howey (hamstring). If the former Newcastle defender is ruled out, club skipper Matt Elliott is available but fellow defender Frank Sinclair has failed in his bid to recover from an Achilles injury.
Newcastle midfielder Lee Bowyer is out of his side's Christmas programme and could face a three-month lay-off if his hip injury does not respond to treatment. Shola Ameobi has undergone surgery to repair his fractured cheekbone and Steve Caldwell was sent for a scan on a thigh strain. Jonathan Woodgate's hamstring injury is unlikely to be risked with Titus Bramble available after suspension.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Leicester D W D L L; Newcastle W D D W D
Top scorers:Paul Dickov, Les Ferdinand (Leicester) 6; Alan Shearer (Newcastle) 16
Match odds: H 11-5 A 1-1 D 11-5
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside)
Liverpool (9) v Bolton (10)
Harry Kewell is expected to return for Liverpool after missing three weeks with an ankle problem. But Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Milan Baros, Steve Finnan, Salif Diao and Stephane Henchoz are all unlikely to play for the first team before mid-January.
Bolton striker Henrik Pedersen may have to settle for a place on the bench despite scoring the equaliser against Arsenal, while defender Bruno N'Gotty (hamstring) remains doubtful.
Last season:Liverpool 2 Bolton 0; Bolton 2 Liverpool 3
Last five league matches:Liverpool L D W D L; Bolton W W L W D
Top scorers: Michael Owen (Liverpool) 9; Kevin Davies (Bolton) 5
Match odds:H 8-13 A 4-1 D 23-10
Referee: J Winter (Cleveland)
Man Utd (1) v Everton (12)
Sir Alex Ferguson has already assured Rio Ferdinand of his place in the United starting line-up, while Cristiano Ronaldo is in contention to replace Darren Fletcher.
Everton are set to restore full-back Tony Hibbert to their team in place of Alessandro Pistone, who is out with a shoulder injury. Joseph Yobo (neck) and David Weir (knee) are unavailable while Wayne Rooney may break up the Kevin Campbell-Tomasz Radzinski strike partnership.
Last season:Everton 1 Man Utd 2; Man Utd 3 Everton 0
Last five league matches:Man Utd W L W W W; Everton W L D W W
Top scorers:Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) 17; Tomasz Radzinski, Steve Watson (Everton) 5
Match odds:H 1-5 A 10-1 D 4-1
Referee: M Dean (Wirral)
Portsmouth (18) v Tottenham (15)
Former Scotland Under-21 international captain Richard Hughes hopes to continue for Portsmouth despite making his first appearance for Pompey since September 2002 in the 3-0 defeat at Southampton. Patrik Berger, Arjan De Zeeuw and Steve Stone are available after suspension.
Midfielders Darren Anderton and Stephane Dalmat both face fitness tests and Gus Poyet and Rohan Ricketts are on stand-by. Christian Ziege, Simon Davies, Bobby Zamora and Jamie Redknapp are still ruled out through injury.
Last season:No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Portsmouth L L D L L; Tottenham W L W L L
Top scorers: Teddy Sheringham (Portsmouth) 6; Frederic Kanoute (Tottenham) 9
Match odds: H 11-8 A 13-8 D 21-10
Referee:S Dunn (Gloucestershire)