Saturday 22nd February 2014
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea v Everton (kick off 12:45)
Chelsea will be lining up to face Everton in the early Saturday kick off without David Luiz – he’s got a minor muscle strain. However, he’ll be replaced by John Terry – the captain returns from a muscle strain of his own. Marco van Ginkel remains out with a serious knee injury.
Everton, who lost this fixture last season 2-1, will be welcoming abck Steven Naismith after a sustaining a knock on the head last weekend. top scorer Romelu Lukaku is ineligible to face his parent club and will watch from the stands alongside Bryan Oviedo, Darron Gibson and Arouna Kone.
Arsenal v Sunderland (kick off 15:00)
Arsenal must face Sunderland without defender Keiran Gibbs. He’s pulled a hamstring and will join Aaron Ramsey and Kim Kallstrom on the sidelines Mikel Arteta is back from a ban, and Olivier Giroud should be recalled. Gunners long-term absentees remain Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott.
Sunderland managed a scoreless draw in this fixture last time and should be able to count upon Steven Fletcher after the striker shrugged off an Achilles injury. Carlos Cuellar is on contention after being absent since November while Wes Brown is banned, and kieren Westwood remains out with a shoulder problem.
Cardiff v Hull (kick off 15:00)
Gary Medel is out for Cardiff after sustaining a thigh injury last weekend. Craig Bellamy will serve the final game of a three-match ban while Mark Hudson (hamstring) is out for the season, but Kenwyne Jones and Fabio return to the matchday squad after being cup-tied.
Hull could welcome back defenders James Chester (hamstring) and Liam Rosenior (thigh) while Sone Aluko could also play a part. but Robbie Brady (groin) and Paul McShane (ankle) are long-term absentees.
Manchester City v Stoke (kick off 15:00)
Manchester City top scorer Sergio Aguero is set to miss out but is in line to return to training next week after missing four games with a hamstring injury. Midfielder James Milner is available again after his midweek European suspension but defender Matija Nastasic (knee) is a notable absentee.
Stoke will be without winger Oussama Assaidi for their trip to the Etihad Stadium with the on-loan Liverpool player set to be sidelined for up to six weeks after tearing a knee ligament. On-loan striker John Guidetti is ineligible against his parent club but Andy Wilkinson and Matthew Etherington are both available after injury.
WBA v Fulham (kick off 15:00)
West Brom will be without Nicolas Anelka due to a shin injury, and Claudio Yacob, who is suffering with a hamstring injury.
Felix Magath takes charge of Fulham for the first time in a game that the Cottagers won last season 2-1. He’ll be without Kostas Mitroglou, Maarten Stekelenburg and Fernando Amorebieta.
West Ham v Southampton (kick off 15:00)
Andy Carroll remains out for West Ham, as does shoulder injury victim Joey O’Brien. That means the Hammers should remain unchanged from the side which has won its last two games.
Southampton travel without Jos Hooiveld, who damaged his eye in training midweek. However, Dejan Lovran and Gaston Ramirez are available for selection having recovered from minor knocks.
Crystal Palace v Manchester United (kick off 17:30)
Jerome Thomas is Crystal Palace’s only injury concern with a back strain and will be assessed prior to kick-off in the Saturday tea-time fixture. Glenn Murray returned as a substitute against West Brom a fortnight ago after almost a year out with cruciate ligament damage so expect him to be involved in some capacity.
Phil Jones and Marouane Fellaini could return to the Manchester United starting XI. Fellaini was a substitute last weekend after spending two months out with wrist and groin injuries while Jones may return from a calf problem. Jonny Evans is a doubt with a calf strain.
Sunday 23rd February 2014
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool v Swansea (kick off 13:30)
Glen Johnson will return to the Liverpool starting line-up after more than a month out with ankle and groin problems. Lucas Leiva is recovering from a knee problem but full-back Jose Enrique has travelled to the USA seeking specialist help for a knee injury.
Swansea emerged unscathed from their Europa League exploits with Jonjo Shelvey showing no ill-effects from a hamstring strain. However, Michu is not quite match fit and will miss out the Sunday lunchtime trip to Anfield.
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (kick off 13:30)
Jonny Howson could return to the Norwich matchday squad from two months out with a back injury but neither on-loan winger Jonas Gutierrez (calf) nor defender Ryan Bennett (thigh) have been declared match fit. Michael Turner (hamstring) and winger Elliott Bennett (knee) are both working their way back to full fitness.
Norwich v Tottenham (kick off 16:00)
Tottenham should return to near full-strength with the likes of Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Aaron Lennon and Emmanuel Adebayor all back incontention after Spurs’ midweek exploits. However, Sandro (calf), Jermain Defoe (hamstring), Erik Lamela and Vlad Chiriches (both back) are all set to miss out once again.
