Saturday, November 18th

Arsenal (3) v Newcastle (18)

Arsenal are without midfielders Gilberto and Freddie Ljungberg. Gilberto has returned to Brazil to deal with a family matter and is not expected back until Sunday, while Ljungberg will be rested again after several weeks out with calf trouble. Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Abou Diaby (ankle) and Lauren (knee) miss out but Julio Baptista is available, although goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has recovered from a heavy cold.

Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given and striker Obafemi Martins could return from injury. The Irishman has been sidelined for two months by an abdominal injury which required surgery after a collision with West Ham's Marlon Harewood, while Nigerian Martins has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.
Last season: Newcastle 1 Arsenal 0, Arsenal 2 Newcastle 0
Last five league matches: Arsenal W W D L W; Newcastle L L D L D
Top scorers: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 6; Shola Ameobi (Newcastle) 5
Match odds: H 2-7 A 8-1 D 16-5
Referee: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

Chelsea (2) v West Ham (16)

Jose Mourinho has no fresh injury worries. Salomon Kalou is doubtful with a leg injury which kept him out of the squad for the clash with Watford last week. Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is almost certain to retain his place in Mourinho's starting line-up ahead of Hilario.

West Ham have Anton Ferdinand back from an Achilles injury. James Collins, who deputised for Ferdinand last week, is out with the abductor injury which prevented him playing for Wales in midweek. Bobby Zamora (ankle) is expected to be fit.
Last season: Chelsea 4 West Ham 1, West Ham 1 Chelsea 3
Last five league matches: Chelsea W W W L W; West Ham L L W W L
Top scorers: Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 14; Bobby Zamora (West Ham) 5
Match odds: H 1-4 A 9-1 D 7-2
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).

Everton (7) v Bolton (5)

Toffees midfielder Tim Cahill is out for two months with a knee injury, while James McFadden is banned. David Weir and Andy van der Meyde are back in contention after both came through a midweek reserve match. Nuno Valente missed the Aston Villa defeat with a foot injury, but is likely to be in contention.

Ricardo Vaz Te suffered a slight calf knock in a goalscoring outing for Portugal Under-21s on Tuesday but is set to be included in the squad. South African midfielder Quinton Fortune (groin) has an outside chance of being involved after he and Ricardo Gardner featured in a practice match earlier in the week.
Last season: Everton 0 Bolton 4, Bolton 0 Everton 1
Last five league matches: Everton L W D L L; Bolton W W L L D
Top scorers: Tim Cahill (Everton) 7; Ivan Campo & El-Hadji Diouf (Bolton) 4
Match odds: H 6-5 A 2-1 D 2-1
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).

Man City (14) v Fulham (10)

City midfielder Trevor Sinclair is doubtful with a knee injury. DeMarcus Beasley (ankle) is also a doubt while Sun Jihai remains sidelined with a hamstring strain.

Papa Bouba Diop is set to return for Fulham after proving his fitness with a goalscoring performance in Tuesday night's 4-1 reserve team win over West Ham. Chris Coleman may opt to leave Tomasz Radzinski on the bench after he played the full 90 minutes for Canada in their 1-0 midweek defeat in Hungary.
Last season: Man City 1 Fulham 2, Fulham 2 Man City 1
Last five league matches: Man City D L W L D; Fulham W D L W D
Top scorers: Georgios Samaras (Man City) 3; Brian McBride (Fulham) 3
Match odds: H 21-20 A 23-10 D 2-1
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).

Middlesbrough (13) v Liverpool (9)

Boro boss Gareth Southgate makes late decisions on Stewart Downing (groin), Lee Cattermole (dead leg) and Andrew Taylor (calf), forced to withdraw from midweek international duty and rated only 50-50. Julio Arca is back after a foot problem but the game may come too soon for Chris Riggott (ankle) and Ugo Ehiogu (Achilles), while Mark Viduka (broken toes) misses out.

The loss of Mohamed Sissoko from Liverpool's midfield, potentially for three months after a successful operation on his dislocated shoulder this week, could see Steven Gerrard restored to his favoured central midfield role with Jermaine Pennant a candidate for the right wing. Craig Bellamy may return up front.
Last season: Liverpool 2 Middlesbrough 0, Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Middlesbrough W W L L W; Liverpool D L W W L
Top scorers: Yakubu (Middlesbrough) 4; Peter Crouch (Liverpool) 8
Match odds: H 5-2 A 19-20 D 21-10
Referee: L Mason (Lancashire).

Portsmouth (6) v Watford (19)

Pompey midfielder Gary O'Neil (hamstring) and striker Benjani Mwaruwari (knee) are set to miss out, while defender Glen Johnson (thigh) is still missing. Harry Redknapp will assess Kanu's fitness after midweek commitments with Nigeria, while Andy Cole (groin) is still struggling.

Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd could make changes. Malky Mackay, Chris Powell, Matthew Spring and Tamas Priskin are pushing for recalls for the Hornets, who are without forward Marlon King (knee) and defender Clarke Carlisle (thigh).
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Portsmouth W L W L D; Watford L D D W L
Top scorers: Kanu (Portsmouth) 7; Ashley Young (Watford) 4
Match odds: H 4-7 A 9-2 D 23-10
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).

Reading (11) v Charlton (20)

Royals captain Graeme Murty (shin) is expected to play but winger Bobby Convey is still in America recovering from a knee injury. Dave Kitson (knee) is back in light training but is not ready to return, while Peter Mate (knee), Aaron Brown (ankle) and Simon Cox (leg) are sidelined.

Charlton hope to have England striker Darren Bent (hamstring) fit for new manager Les Reed's first game in charge. Wingers Jerome Thomas (thigh) and Dennis Rommedahl (groin) are also expected to be available.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Reading L L L L W; Charlton L D D W L
Top scorers: Kevin Doyle (Reading) 5; Darren Bent (Charlton) 8
Match odds: H 5-6 A 11-4 D 11-5
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

Sheff Utd (17) v Man Utd (1)

Blades striker Danny Webber and centre-back Claude Davis will be given until tomorrow to prove their fitness. Former Old Trafford striker Webber is struggling with a hamstring strain, while Davis has a thigh problem which ruled him out of last Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Bolton.

Red Devils captain Gary Neville has come through training and suffered no reaction to a calf problem while Cristiano Ronaldo is fit despite picking up an ankle injury at Blackburn last weekend.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Sheff Utd D L L W D; Man Utd W W W W W
Top scorers: Rob Hulse (Sheff Utd) 4; Louis Saha (Man Utd) 8
Match odds: H 7-1 A 1-3 D 3-1
Referee: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).

Sunday, November 19th

Blackburn (15) v Tottenham (12)

Rovers pair Zurab Khizanishvili (suspension) and Lucas Neill (hamstring strain) have been ruled out. Morten Gamst Pedersen is doubtful with a rib injury but Robbie Savage could return following a thigh problem. Jason Roberts, Steven Reid and Ryan Nelsen remain sidelined with long-term injuries.

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon (knee) is unlikely to feature after missing England's friendly against Holland along with Spurs team-mate Jermaine Jenas (calf), who is out for the next 10 days. Pascal Chimbonda (medial ligament), Calum Davenport (groin), Anthony Gardner (knee) and Paul Stalteri (knee) are set to miss out, while Teemu Tainio is back in training but may not make the bench.
Last season: Tottenham 3 Blackburn 2, Blackburn 0 Tottenham 0
Last five league matches: Blackburn D L L L L; Tottenham D W D W L
Top scorers: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn) 7; Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane & Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 4
Match odds: H 11-8 A 13-8 D 21-10
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).

Wigan (8) v Aston Villa (4)

Arjan de Zeeuw and Emile Heskey are serious doubts for Wigan. Defender De Zeeuw (toe) needed painkilling injections to get through the win over Charlton and like striker Heskey (calf), has not trained all week. David Cotterill (groin) and Leighton Baines (calf) are doubts, while Gary Teale (hamstring) is out.

Villa skipper Gareth Barry has resumed training after a bruised back and is expected to return — but fellow midfielder Gavin McCann is suspended. Gary Cahill is again set to partner Liam Ridgewell at the heart of the defence with Olof Mellberg deputising at right-back for Aaron Hughes (groin).
Last season: Wigan 3 Aston Villa 2, Aston Villa 0 Wigan 2
Last five league matches: Wigan L W W W W; Aston Villa D D L W W
Top scorers: Henri Camara (Wigan) 4; Juan Pablo Angel (Aston Villa) 6
Match odds: H 11-8 A 13-8 D 21-10
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).