A run down on the weekend's fixtures
West Ham Utd (20) v Tottenham Hotspur (5)
THOMAS Hitzlsperger has a thigh injury and remains sidelined along with long-term Hammers absentees Zavon Hines, Jack Collison and Peter Kurucz (all knee). Valon Behrami (knee) could return after missing the midweek League Cup win over Sunderland.
Luka Modric returns to the Spurs squad after a foot injury, along with Rafael van der Vaart and Vedran Corluka, who have overcome groin and back injuries respectively. Heurelho Gomes has failed to recover from a groin injury, while Benoit Assou-Ekotto (knee) is a doubt.
Last season: Tottenham 2 West Ham 0; West Ham 1 Tottenham 2. Last five league matches: West Ham LLLLD; Tottenham DWLDW. Top scorers (all competitions): Scott Parker (West Ham) 2; Gareth Bale (Tottenham) 2. Match odds: H 11-4 A 1-1 D 12-5. Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Fulham (7) v Everton (19)
FULHAM’S Moussa Dembele is out for two weeks because of an ankle injury, joining fellow striker Bobby Zamora (broken leg), Andrew Johnson (knee) and Diomansy Kamara (foot) in the treatment room. Damien Duff (calf) is expected to return after missing the 2-0 League Cup defeat by Stoke in midweek.
Everton have doubts over midfielders Tim Cahill (knee) and Leon Osman (rib), while full back Tony Hibbert is doubt with a groin strain. Forwards Louis Saha (calf) and Victor Anichebe (knee) remain on the sidelines, while Jack Rodwell (ankle) is out long term.
Last season: Everton 2 Fulham 1; Fulham 2 Everton 1. Last five league matches: Fulham DDDWD; Everton LDLDL. Top scorers (all competitions): Moussa Dembele (Fulham) 2; Tim Cahill (Everton) 2. Match odds: H 6-4 A 9-5 D 11-5. Referee: Howard Webb.
Liverpool (16) v Sunderland (11)
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson will most likely drop all the players who played in Wednesday’s League Cup loss to Northampton. Forward Dirk Kuyt may be back after a shoulder injury but defender Fabio Aurelio (Achilles) is still out.
Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand have joined John Mensah (calf) on the Sunderland sidelines with hamstring problems. Michael Turner (ankle) has returned to training. Asamoah Gyan (hamstring) is also a doubt but Lee Cattermole returns from suspension.
Last season: Liverpool 3 Sunderland 0; Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0. Last five league matches: Liverpool DLWDL; Sunderland DLWDD. Top scorers (all competitions): Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 2; Darren Bent (Sunderland) 3. Match odds: H 4-9 A 7-1 D 3-1. Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Bolton Wanderers (13) v Manchester United (3)
OWEN Coyle must decide whether to recall Jussi Jaaskelainen after suspension. Kevin Davies will be back from his ban to spearhead the Bolton attack. However, Gary Cahill serves the final game of a three-match suspension.
Alex Ferguson is expected to ring the changes following United’s midweek League Cup triumph over Scunthorpe. Ferguson has reported an encouraging return to training for Owen Hargreaves after his knee problems, although he is not under consideration for this game and fellow midfielder Michael Carrick (Achilles) is still out.
Last season: Bolton 0 Man Utd 4; Man Utd 2 Bolton 1. Last five league matches: Bolton DWDLD; Man Utd WDWDW. Top scorers (all competitions): Johan Elmander (Bolton) 3; Dimitar Berbatov (Man Utd) 6. Match odds: H 6-1 A 1-2 D 3-1. Referee: Phil Dowd.
Wolverhampton (15) v Aston Villa (8)
WOLVES Manager Mick McCarthy has no new injury concerns and will likely revert to the side which played at Tottenham last weekend after a much-changed team struggled to beat Notts County in the League Cup. Michael Kightly (knee), Stephen Hunt (foot) and Ronald Zubar (ankle) remain sidelined.
Villa captain Gabriel Agbonlahor (calf) is winning his battle to be fit. Midfielder Stephen Ireland is also making good progress after suffering a dead leg in training but defender Richard Dunne (knee) is again out.
Last season: Aston Villa 2 Wolves 2, Wolves 1 Aston Villa 1. Last five league matches: Wolves WDDLL; Aston Villa WLWLD. Top scorers (all competitions): Sylvan Ebanks-Blake Steven Fletcher (Wolves) 2; Stewart Downing (Aston Villa) 2. Match odds: H 15-8 A 6-4 D 11-5. Referee: Mark Halsey.
Arsenal (2) v West Brom (10)
ARSENAL will hand fitness tests to midfielders Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky (both ankle) as well as utility man Emmanuel Eboue (knee). Midfielder Alex Song is available after a ban but Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Kieran Gibbs (foot), Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie (both ankle), Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) remain sidelined.
West Brom defender Gabriel Tamas (calf) and winger Jerome Thomas (groin) are doubts. Tamas is likely to be replaced by Pablo Ibanez, while Somen Tchoyi is on stand-by for Thomas.
Last season: No corresponding fixture. Last five league matches: Arsenal DWWWD; West Brom LWLDW. Top scorers (all competitions): Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 4; Peter Odemwingie (West Brom) 2. Match odds: H 1-5 A 5-1 D 14-1. Referee: Michael Oliver.
Blackpool (9) v Blackburn Rovers (14)
BLACKPOOL are without defender Alex Baptiste, who is out for up to six weeks with a recurrence of an old knee ligament injury. Billy Clarke (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Rovers are without David Dunn, Keith Andrews, Vince Grella and Jason Roberts. Grella injured a hamstring in the draw at Fulham and did not feature in the midweek League Cup defeat at Aston Villa, Dunn has not played since the end of August, while injury means Republic of Ireland international Andrews and Roberts have yet to feature this season.
Last season: No corresponding fixture. Last five league matches: Blackpool WLDWL; Blackburn WLLDD. Top scorers (all competitions): Marlon Harewood (Blackpool) 2; Nikola Kalinic (Blackburn) 4. Match odds: H 9-4 A 5-4 D 11-5. Referee: Mike Dean.
Newcastle Utd (6) v Stoke City (17)
NEWCASTLE defender James Perch is back from suspension and Sol Campbell will also hope for a start. Tim Krul deputises in goal for Steve Harper (shoulder) but the game comes too soon for Danny Simpson (ankle) and Danny Guthrie (knee), while Steven Taylor (shoulder) and Dan Gosling (knee) are out.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis will make changes after using fringe players in the League Cup win over Fulham. Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen returns and winger Jermaine Pennant (hamstring) should also be in the squad.
Last season: No corresponding fixture. Last five league matches: Newcastle LWDLW; Stoke LLLWD. Top scorers (all competitions): Andy Carroll (Newcastle) 4; Kenwyne Jones (Stoke) 2. Match odds: H 19-20 A 3-1 D 23-10. Referee: Michael Jones.
Birmingham City (12) v Wigan Athletic (18)
JAMES McFadden has undergone successful surgery on the anterior knee ligament injury he suffered a week ago but midfielder Michel is ruled out with a dead leg. Captain Stephen Carr returns after resting a broken toe.
Wigan midfielder Hendry Thomas is set to miss out after suffering a badly cut shin in League Cup action. Ronnie Stam and Franco Di Santo also suffered knocks in the win over Preston but should be fit, while Victor Moses, who made his comeback from an ankle injury last weekend, is also pushing for a squad place.
Last season: Birmingham 1 Wigan 0; Wigan 2 Birmingham 3. Last five league matches: Birmingham DWDDL; Wigan LLWDL. Top scorers (all competitions): Craig Gardner (Birmingham) 3; Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) 1. Match odds: H 5-6 A 7-2 D 12-5. Referee: Mark Clattenburg.
English Premier League Teams news and statistics
Manchester City (4) v Chelsea (1)
CITY defenders Micah Richards (hamstring), Wayne Bridge (thigh) and Aleksandar Kolarov (ankle) are out and Joleon Lescott (groin) and Jerome Boateng (knee) are doubts. Emmanuel Adebayor returns after a dead leg but Shaun Wright-Phillips (knee) is out.
Chelsea are without Salomon Kalou and Yossi Benayoun, who suffered thigh and calf injuries respectively in the League Cup defeat by Newcastle, while Frank Lampard has not shaken off his hernia problem. Paulo Ferreira drops to the bench to make way for John Terry and Nicolas Anelka replaces Kalou up front.
Last season: Chelsea 2 Man City 4; Man City 2 Chelsea 1. Last five league matches: Man City DWLDW; Chelsea WWWWW. Top scorers (all competitions): Carlos Tevez (Man City) 3; Florent Malouda (Chelsea) 6. Match odds: H 5-2 A 23-10 D 11-10. Referee: Andre Marriner.
