BARCLAYS PREMIERSHIP MATCH
DETAILS
Blackburn (15) v Middlesbrough (16)
Brad Friedel will continue in goal for Blackburn despite being
troubled by a dead leg. He was unable to take goal-kicks during the
Boxing Day win over Liverpool.
Middlesbrough welcome back James Morrison (calf) and Abel Xavier
(hamstring) to the squad after they missed the Boxing Day draw with
Everton. Julio Arca is struggling to prove his fitness after
picking up a hip injury in training, while Robert Huth (foot) will
be out until the middle of January at the earliest.
Last season: Blackburn 3 Middlesbrough 2, Middlesbrough 0 Blackburn
2
Last five league matches: Blackburn L L W L W; Middlesbrough L D L
W D
Top scorers: Benedict McCarthy (Blackburn) 10; Aiyegbeni Yakubu
(Middlesbrough) 6
Referee: M Atkinson.
Bolton (4) v Portsmouth (5)
Bolton midfielder Ivan Campo is available in spite of picking up
his fifth booking of the season in the Boxing Day win over
Newcastle. The seven-day rule allows him to face both Pompey and
Liverpool on New Year's Day.
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has no fresh injury worries and
looks set to make just one change to the team which won at West Ham
on Boxing Day. He will opt for Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari
instead of top scorer Kanu.
Last season: Portsmouth 1 Bolton 1, Bolton 1 Portsmouth 0
Last five league matches: Bolton L W W W W; Portsmouth D W D W
W
Top scorers: Nicolas Anelka (Bolton) 7; Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth)
9
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
Charlton (19) v Aston Villa (10)
Charlton winger Jerome Thomas has been feeling the effects of a
recent virus and may not feature against Aston Villa. Midfielder
Amdy Faye is struggling to shake off an undisclosed injury, while
Darren Ambrose will expect to retain his place following a goal on
Wednesday night and Dennis Rommedahl is pressing for a start. Andy
Reid (hamstring) and captain Luke Young (knee) are both definitely
out.
Chris Sutton will be sidelined for at least six weeks with blurred
vision and concussion, while Villa manager Martin O'Neill is hoping
defenders Olof Mellberg and Aaron Hughes will have shaken off knee
injuries picked up against Tottenham on Boxing Day. But midfielder
Stiliyan Petrov is a major doubt after aggravating his hamstring
injury at White Hart Lane.
Last season: Charlton 0 Aston Villa 0, Aston Villa 1 Charlton
0
Last five league matches: Charlton W L L L D; Aston Villa D D L L
L
Top scorers: Darren Bent (Charlton) 9; Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
8
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
Chelsea (2) v Fulham (12)
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has more defensive worries with Khalid
Boulahrouz out through suspension. Captain John Terry (back) and
Joe Cole (foot) were already out of contention.
Dutch striker Collins John has been called up by Fulham to replace
the suspended Heider Helguson. Fulham are also without midfielder
Claus Jensen (groin). Captain Luis Boa Morte returns from injury to
replace Jensen on the bench even though he is not yet considered
fit enough for a full 90 minutes.
Last season: Fulham 1 Chelsea 0, Chelsea 3 Fulham 2
Last five league matches: Chelsea D W W W D; Fulham L L W D D
Top scorers: Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 19; Brian McBride (Fulham)
6
Referee: H Webb.
Everton 8 v Newcastle 11
Everton manager David Moyes welcomes defender Phil Neville back
from suspension and does not expect any new injuries to contend
with, although Alan Stubbs will face a late test on the knee
problem which forced him out of the Boxing Day draw with
Middlesbrough.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder will make late checks on goalkeeper
Shay Given and stand-in full-back Nolberto Solano. Both men are
battling against the groin injuries which kept them out of
Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Bolton, and Pavel Srnicek and David Edgar
are standing by.
Last season: Newcastle 2 Everton 0, Everton 1 Newcastle 0
Last five league matches: Everton W L L W D; Newcastle W L W W
L
Top scorers: Tim Cahill & Andrew Johnson (Everton) 7; Obafemi
Martins (Newcastle) 9
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
Sheff Utd (17) v Arsenal (3)
Danny Webber, Claude Davis, Michael Tonge and Keith Gillespie have
been struck by a virus and manager Neil Warnock will leave it as
late as possible to assess the quartet's fitness. Stephen Quinn
(fibula) and Derek Geary (thigh) are definitely out.
Arsenal will be without Emmanuel Adebayor after he suffered a thigh
injury at Watford on Boxing Day. Brazilian Julio Baptista could be
handed a rare start, but defender Johan Djourou (hamstring) and
full-back Emmanuel Eboue (ankle) are concerns. Lauren may make a
welcome return to the squad following his long-term injury lay-off,
but captain Thierry Henry (sciatic nerve), William Gallas (thigh)
and Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring) are still sidelined.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Sheff Utd W D W L L; Arsenal D W D W
W
Top scorers: Rob Hulse (Sheff Utd) 6; Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)
10
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
Watford (20) v Wigan (14)
Watford will hand a late fitness test to Danny Shittu (ankle) while
Hameur Bouazza is expected to be out for up to six weeks with a
dislocated shoulder and Marlon King is out until the end of the
season with a knee injury. James Chambers (gash) and Clarke
Carlisle (muscle) are also missing.
Wigan captain Arjan de Zeeuw returns to the side after a toe
injury. But manager Paul Jewell is again without striker Henri
Camara (knee), winger Lee McCulloch (suspended) and midfielder Paul
Scharner (knee surgery) while Ryan Taylor, Antonio Valencia and
Steve McMillan are also sidelined. Striker Svetoslav Todorov plays
his last game of a four-month loan deal from Portsmouth.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Watford D D L L L; Wigan D L L L L
Top scorers: Ashley Young (Watford) 4; Henri Camara (Wigan) 6
Referee: S Tanner (Somerset).
West Ham 18 v Man City 13
Nigel Reo-Coker and Paul Konchesky are suspended for the Barclays
Premiership clash against Manchester City at Upton Park. James
Collins is back in training following a groin injury, while Dean
Ashton continues his rehabilitation from a broken ankle suffered at
the start of the season.
Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce could be forced to push Micah
Richards into midfield. Dietmar Hamann (back) and Claudio Reyna
(hamstring) are injured, while Joey Barton starts a three-match
ban. Paul Dickov (toe) and Darius Vassell (groin) are both major
doubts.
Last season: West Ham 1 Man City 0, Man City 2 West Ham 1
Last five league matches: West Ham L L W D L; Man City D L L L
W
Top scorers: Bobby Zamora (West Ham) 5; Joey Barton (Man City)
5
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).
