Saturday

ARSENAL (6) v COVENTRY (9)

Skipper Tony Adams and winger Ray Parlour are back from injury for Arsenal but manager Arsene Wenger will make a late decision on whether Dennis Bergkamp also returns to the starting line-up after he missed Tuesday's Champions League win in Prague because of his refusal to travel by air. Adams will replace Oleg Luzhny in the centre of defence with the Ukrainian moving to right-back in place of injured Lee Dixon (knee).

Gordon Strachan looks set to resist the temptation to bring in strikers John Aloisi and Ysrael Zuniga, who have both been in good form for the reserves. Colin Hendry will again be left out of the final 16.

Last season: Arsenal 3 Coventry 0, Coventry 3 Arsenal 2.

Last five league matches: Arsenal LWWDD, Coventry LWWLD.

Top scorers: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 4; Craig Bellamy (Coventry) 2.

Match odds: H 4-11, A 7-1, D 11-4.

Referee: M Dean (Heswall).

ASTON VILLA (14) v BRADFORD (15)

Winger David Ginola will start only his second game of the season, either in a free role or alongside Dion Dublin as an out-and-out striker. The Frenchman played for an hour in a midweek reserve game to boost his match fitness after a back injury.

Bradford are without Andy Myers, who tore a hamstring in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal last week. Second-choice goalkeeper Gary Walsh has joined Middlesbrough on a month's loan. Lee Sharpe is a doubt with a heel injury.

Last season: Bradford 1 Aston Villa 1, Aston Villa 1 Bradford 0.

Last five league matches: Aston Villa L D D L W, Bradford L W D L D.

Top scorers: Gareth Barry, Dion Dublin, Lee Hendrie, Luc Nilis, Steve Stone (Aston Villa) 1; Benito Carbone, Stuart McCall and Dean Windass (Bradford) 1.

Match odds: H 4-7, A 4-1, D 5-2.

Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville).

CHARLTON (13) v TOTTENHAM (5)

Centre-back Carl Tiler faces a late fitness test so he can compete with Steve Brown to see who partners Richard Rufus at the heart of the defence. Ramon Vega looks set for his first start of the season to solve a defensive injury crisis. Manager George Graham has also named untried defender Alton Thelwell (20) in an 18-man squad as well as Republic of Ireland under-21 striker Gary Doherty.

Last season: No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches: Charlton W L L D D, Tottenham W D L W W.

Top scorers: Andy Hunt (Charlton) 3; Les Ferdinand and Sergei Rebrov (Tottenham) 2.

Match odds: H 13-8, A 13-10, D 9-4.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).

EVERTON (8) v MAN UTD (1)

Portuguese defender Abel Xavier could be out because of a knee injury, Alessandro Pistone is struggling with a hamstring strain and Mark Pembridge has a calf problem. Richard Dunne is available again after a five-match suspension. Jaap Stam will have a fitness check after missing the Champions League win over Anderlecht. Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could start with Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham moving to the bench.

Last season: Man Utd 5 Everton 1, Everton 1 Man Utd 1.

Last five league matches: Everton L W D L W, Man Utd W D D W W.

Top scorers: Francis Jeffers (Everton) 6; Andy Cole (Man Utd) 6.

Match odds: H 11-4, A 4-5, D 23-10.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).

LEEDS (7) v IPSWICH (17)

Skipper Lucas Radebe visited a neuro-specialist yesterday as a precaution after his aerial collision with team-mate Michael Duberry in the 4-0 Champions League drubbing by Barcelona. Danny Mills is likely to play at centre back alongside Duberry, with Ian Harte returning to his customary left-back position and Matthew Jones slotting into the midfield.

Ipswich will leave last season's leading scorer David Johnson on the bench. Marcus Stewart, signed from Huddersfield last season for £2.75million, is preferred in the starting line-up.

Last season: No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches: Leeds D W W L D, Ipswich L D W L L.

Top scorers: Alan Smith (Leeds) 5; Titus Bramble, Jim Magilton, Marcus Stewart, Mark Venus, Fabian Wilnis (Ipswich) 1.

Match odds: H 2-5, A 13-2, D 13-5.

Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City)

S'HAMPTON (19) v NEWCASTLE (3)

Southampton captain Jason Dodd and midfielder Matthew Le Tissier are both in contention for recalls. Dodd has been struggling with a foot injury and Le Tissier has been out for two weeks with a dead leg. Newcastle will be without Warren Barton and Rob Lee with groin and thigh injuries respectively. Striker Carl Cort is expected to recover from a hamstring injury.

Last season: Newcastle 5 Southampton 0, Southampton 4 Newcastle 2.

Last five league matches: Southampton D L D D L, Newcastle L W W W D.

Top scorers: Marian Pahars (Southampton) 3; Daniel Cordone (Newcastle) 2.

Match odds: H 7-4, A 6-5, D 9-4.

Referee: B Knight (Orpington).

SUNDERLAND (18) v DERBY (16)

Peter Reid has refused to rule out a return for goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen after he returned to full training. But Reid's long injury list showed no signs of clearing with Stefan Schwarz, Gavin McCann, Stanislav Varga, Alex Rae, Steve Bould, Michael Reddy, George McCartney, Milton Nunez and Paul Butler still sidelined.

Argentinian defender Horacio Carbonari is set for his first start of the season, but wing back Rory Delap is out with a recurrence of an Achilles injury suffered in the 2-2 draw against Charlton.

Last season: Sunderland 1 Derby 1, Derby 0 Sunderland 5.

Last five league matches: Sunderland W L L D L, Derby D L D D D.

Top scorers: Niall Quinn (Sunderland) 2; Branko Strupar (Derby) 4.

Match odds: H 8-11, A 3-1, D 12-5.

Referee: P Taylor (Cheshunt).

Sunday

CHELSEA (10) v LEICESTER (2)

Celestine Babayaro is away on Olympic Games duty with Nigeria, while goalkeeper Ed de Goey and midfielders Gustavo Poyet and Mario Stanic are still not back in full training after injury, although John Terry is close to a comeback.

Leicester striker Stan Collymore is unlikely to start because he is still gaining full fitness after recovering from an Achilles injury.

Last season: Chelsea 1 Leicester 1, Leicester 2 Chelsea 2.

Last five league matches: Chelsea W L D D D, Leicester D W D W W.

Top scorers: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea) 3; Ade Akinbiyi, Darren Eadie, Matt Elliott, Gerry Taggart (Leicester) 1.

Match odds: H 8-15, A 9-2, D 12-5.

Referee: R Harris (Oxford).

MAN CITY (11) v MIDDLESBRO' (12)

George Weah is expected to return to the City attack. Danny Tiatto has shrugged off his groin injury, while deposed skipper Richard Edghill will not figure.

On-loan goalkeeper Gary Walsh is set to make a second debut for Middlesbrough after Mark Schwarzer broke a thumb in a training ground accident. Defenders Gary Pallister, Colin Cooper and Keith O'Neill are all back from injury in a 20-man squad.

Last season: No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches: Man City L W L W L, Middlesbrough W D L D L.

Top scorers: Paulo Wanchope (Man City) 5; Alen Boksic (Middlesbrough) 3.

Match odds: H 13-10, A 13-8, D 9-4.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).

WEST HAM (20) v LIVERPOOL (4)

Defender Igor Stimac is available for West Ham after serving a suspension, but the Croatian international is struggling to shake off a virus. Frank Lampard, who has been bothered by a persistent ankle injury all season, is definitely out.

Liverpool hope to have Steven Gerrard back after he missed the 10 UEFA Cup win over Rapid Bucharest but they will be without Sami Hyypia, Patrik Berger, Vladimir Smicer, Titi Camara and the still suspended Gary McAllister. Robbie Fowler and Vegard Heggem are back in the squad after injury.

Last season: West Ham 1 Liverpool 0, Liverpool 1 West Ham 0.

Last five league matches: West Ham L L D D L, Liverpool W L D W W.

Top scorers: Paolo di Canio and Davor Suker (West Ham) 2; Michael Owen (Liverpool) 7.

Match odds: H 13-5, A 13-10, D 9-4.

Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).

Odds supplied courtesy of William Hills.