English FA Premiership Previews

Today

Coventry (19) v Newcastle (14)

Marc Edworthy is expected to be at right-back for Coventry in place of his former Crystal Palace team-mate Richard Shaw. Edworthy was signed in a £1.2 million deal two weeks ago.

Newcastle midfielder David Batty serves the last game of his suspension so manager Ruud Gullit will use the same squad which went into Thursday's European Cup Winners Cup win. Nikos Dabizas shrugged off the groin strain which kept him out of last week's 4-0 defeat of Southampton to turn in a matchwinning performance against Partizan Belgrade. Peruvian wing-back Nolberto Solano could make his second start of the season.

Last season: Coventry 2-2 Newcastle, Newcastle 0-0 Coventry.

Last five League matches: Coventry WLDLL, Newcastle DDLLW.

Top scorers: Paul Hall, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby (Coventry) 1; Alan Shearer (Newcastle) 2.

Match odds: H 6-4, A 6-4, D 11-5.

Referee: R Harris (Oxford)

Derby (4) v Leicester (16)

Derby centre-half Spencer Prior should return from a knee injury to be fit to face his old club. Russell Hoult, another former Leicester player, returns in goal in place of Mart Poom, while Stefan Schnoor comes in for Darryl Powell and Lars Bohinen is also set to start. Record signing Horacio Carbonari is still out with the knee injury he sustained in the opening day draw at Blackburn.

Leicester's midfielder Muzzy Izzet and skipper Steve Walsh are expected to be in contention after missing the midweek League Cup win over Chesterfield through injury.

Last season: Derby 0-4 Leicester, Leicester 1-2 Derby.

Last five League matches: Derby DDDWW, Leicester DWLLD.

Top scorers: Paulo Wanchope (Derby) 2; Emile Heskey (Leicester) 4.

Match odds: H Evens, A 9-4, D 9-4.

Referee: G Poll (Tring, Hertfordshire).

Leeds (3) v Aston Villa (1)

Leeds manager George Graham looks set to name an unchanged line-up for the sixth successive match. Winger Lee Sharpe and midfielder Bruno Ribeiro are pushing for a place but seem certain to remain on the bench. Defender Danny Granville is suspended following a sending-off in a reserve game, while 18-year-old keeper Paul Robinson will again be on the bench due to Mark Beeney's Achilles injury.

Paul Merson will return for Premiership leaders Aston Villa - he was ineligible for Tuesday's dramatic UEFA Cup win over Stromsgodset. Stan Collymore will sit out his fourth successive match with the recurrence of a thigh strain while teenage striker Darius Vassell, who scored two late goals against Stromsgodset, will once again be on the bench.

Last season: Leeds 1-1 Aston Villa, Aston Villa 1-0 Leeds.

Last five League matches: Leeds DWDWD, Aston Villa DWWWW.

Top scorers: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds) 2; Gary Charles, Julian Joachim, Darius Vassell (Aston Villa) 2.

Match odds: H 6-5, A 15-8, D 9-4.

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

LiverpooL (2) v Charlton (13)

Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is standing by for his first full match since the cruciate knee injury he received in February. Injury doubts over Michael Owen, Karlheinz Riedle and Paul Ince will delay Liverpool's selection. Steve McManaman, who is nursing an Achilles problem, should be fit to play and captain the side, while striker Sean Dundee could be on the bench for the first time this season.

Mark Kinsella faces a late fitness test on an ankle before Charlton manager Alan Curbishley finalises his team. The Irish international missed the League Cup victory at QPR on Wednesday with the injury. Keith Jones and Paul Mortimer will compete for the vacant berth if Kinsella is ruled out. Richard Rufus is available for his first League match since completing a three-match ban for being sent off at Newcastle.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five League matches: Liverpool WDWWL, Charlton DWDLL.

Top scorers: Michael Owen (Liverpool) 5; Clive Mendonca (Charlton) 4.

Match odds: H 2-5, A 13-2, D 11-4.

Referee: P Alcock (Halstead, Kent).

Middlesbrough (6) v Everton (17)

Skipper Andy Townsend and central defender Colin Cooper return for Middlesbrough after injury, while former Inter Milan striker Marco Branca could be on bench.

Frenchman Olivier Dacourt plays his last Premiership game for Everton before a one-match ban. It's expected that boss Walter Smith will name the side that drew at Huddersfield in midweek, with Craig Short and Slaven Bilic still out with groin injuries. Mikael Madar, Phil Jevons and Tony Thomas were also part of that squad.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five League matches: Middlesbrough DLDWW, Everton DLLWD.

Top scorers: Hamilton Ricard (Middlesbrough) 4; Duncan Ferguson (Everton) 2.

Match odds: H Evens, A 9-4, D 9-4.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury, Oxon).

Nottm Forest (11) v West Ham (8)

Nottingham Forest boss Dave Bassett is set to name an unchanged starting line-up after Tuesday's 5-1 win at Leyton Orient, so Des Lyttle is set to continue. Bassett is unable to call upon midfielders Ian Woan, Chris Bart-Williams, Geoff Thomas, Scot Gemmill and Glyn Hodges, while Neil Shipperley is also unavailable.

West Ham boss Harry Redknapp is facing an injury crisis. The Hammers have nine key players injured with Steve Lomas, Stan Lazaridis, Javier Margas, Neil Ruddock, John Hartson, Scott Mean, John Moncur, Paul Kitson and Julian Dicks all receiving treatment. But Rio Ferdinand has recovered from a groin strain and will play.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five League matches: Nottm Forest LWWLL, West Ham WDDLW.

Top scorers: Steve Stone (Nottm Forest) 3; Ian Wright (West Ham) 3.

Match odds: H 13-8, A 11-8, D 11-5.

Referee: M Reed (Birmingham).

Southampton (20) v Tottenham (12)

Southampton striker Mark Hughes is fit despite breaking a bone in his hand. Hughes suffered the injury in Tuesday's League Cup draw at Fulham but his hand is not in a cast and he is set to partner either James Beattie or Egil Ostenstad.

Spurs' director of football David Pleat has Les Ferdinand and Ruel Fox back after they sat out Tuesday's League Cup win at Brentford through injury. Ian Walker (back), Darren Anderton (knee), Allan Nielsen (thigh), Moussa Saib (back) and Clive Wilson (ankle) are all missing.

Last season: Southampton 3-2 Tottenham, Tottenham 1-1 Southampton.

Last five League matches: Southampton LLLLL, Tottenham LLWWL.

Top scorers: Matt Le Tissier, Egil Ostenstad, James Beattie (Southampton) 1; Les Ferdinand (Tottenham) 2.

Match odds: H 6-4, A 6-4, D 11-5.

Referee: K Burge (Tonypandy)

Wimbledon (7) v Sheff Wed (10)

Wimbledon are back to full strength after resting eight firstteam regulars in the midweek League Cup defeat by Portsmouth. Neil Sullivan returns in goal in place of Paul Heald, who conceded two against Pompey.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Wilson could make changes following his side's League Cup embarrassment at home to Cambridge on Wednesday night. Niclas Alexandersson and Jon Newsome both came through 70 minutes of a reserve game after eight and six-month lay-offs with knee and ankle injuries respectively, but are unlikely to be in the squad.

Last season: Wimbledon 1-1 Sheff Wed, Sheff Wed 1-1 Wimbledon.

Last five League matches: Wimbledon WDDWL, Sheff Wed LWLLW.

Top scorers: Efan Ekoku (Wimbledon) 4; Andy Hinchcliffe, Peter Atherton, Paolo Di Canio (Sheff Wed) 2.

Match odds: H 5-6, A 11-4, D 9-4.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).

Tomorrow

Arsenal (9) v Man Utd (5)

New Swedish signing Fredrik Ljungberg may make his debut for Arsenal, who have fitness worries over Emmanuel Petit and Ray Parlour. Tony Adams did not train on Friday but should be fit to play and manager Arsene Wenger has an almost full strength squad to choose from.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson may be tempted to include Teddy Sheringham - who scored twice in this fixture last year - after the striker hit two goals in a reserve match on Thursday night. Ronny Johnsen is United's biggest doubt. He has been having treatment on a swollen ankle all week and the injury kept him out of the midweek 3-3 draw with Barcelona.

Last season: Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd, Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal.

Last five League matches: Arsenal WDDDD, Man Utd DDWW.

Top scorers: Stephen Hughes, Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit (Arsenal) 1; Dwight Yorke (Man Utd) 3.

Match odds: H 6-4, A 13-8, D 2-1.

Referee: G Barber (Pyrford, Surrey)

Odds supplied courtesy of William Hill