Premier League team news
Last season:Fulham 2 Stoke 1, Stoke 2 Fulham 0
Last five league matches:Stoke L D L W D; Fulham W D D D L
Top scorers (all competitions):Peter Crouch (Stoke) 5; Dimitar Berbatov (Fulham) 5
Match odds:H 11-10 A 23-10 D 23-10
Referee:Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Sunderland (15) v West Brom (4)
Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill will welcome Craig Gardner back from suspension against West Brom. Gardner is available again after serving a one-match ban for reaching five bookings. O’Neill admitted “one or two” players are battling against knocks, but declined to name them, but midfielder Lee Cattermole (knee) and full back Phil Bardsley (hamstring) returned to action in the 3-1 win at Fulham on Sunday, while goalkeeper Keiren Westwood (thigh) was able to take a seat on the bench.
Central defender Gareth McAuley and on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku will return for the Baggies. McAuley has recovered from a hamstring injury suffered on international duty with Northern Ireland while Lukaku was ineligible to face his parent club in Albion’s 2-1 win last weekend. But midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is ruled out with a tight hamstring and goalkeeper Ben Foster is absent for a third successive game with a groin problem.
Last season:West Brom 4 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 2 West Brom 2
Last five league matches:Sunderland D D L L W; West Brom L L W W W
Top scorers (all competitions):Steven Fletcher (Sunderland) 6; Shane Long (West Brom) 6
Match odds:H 13-10 A 15-8 D 23-10
Referee:Mike Dean (Wirral)
Wigan (16) v Reading (17)
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez could be without seven first-team players against Reading. Ben Watson (broken leg), Gary Caldwell (hamstring), Ryo Miyaichi (ankle) and Franco Di Santo (leg) all suffered injuries in last weekend’s 3-0 defeat by Liverpool, although strikers Miyaichi and Di Santo could still feature. Midfielder James McArthur (dead leg), winger Albert Crusat (knee) and defender Antolin Alcaraz (groin) are not yet ready to return.
Reading manager Brian McDermott could welcome Jimmy Kebe back into his squad. Kebe missed last weekend’s win over Everton with a groin problem but has returned to training and is in contention for the match at the DW Stadium. McDermott has also seen goalkeeper Alex McCarthy return to training, along with midfielders Danny Guthrie and Jem Karacan, although tomorrow’s game will be too early for any of them to return.
Last season:No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches:Wigan L W W L L; Reading L D D D W
Top scorers (all competitions):Arouna Kone (Wigan) 4; Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading) 5
Match odds:H 5-6 A 3-1 D 12-5
Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
SUNDAY
Chelsea (3) v Man City (1)
New Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez must decide whether to recall Fernando Torres for his first game in charge. One of Roberto Di Matteo’s final acts as manager was dropping Torres for the first time this season before Tuesday’s fateful Champions League defeat at Juventus. Chelsea remain without John Terry (knee) and Frank Lampard (calf).
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will be given a fitness test after suffering a knee injury late in the midweek clash with Real Madrid. Striker Mario Balotelli, dropped for the defeat of Tottenham a fortnight ago, has been training after being forced out of the last two games by a back injury. Left back Gael Clichy (ankle) is back in contention while midfielder Jack Rodwell (hamstring) edges closer to a return, but right back Micah Richards (knee) is still out.
Last season:Man City 2 Chelsea 1, Chelsea 2 Man City 1
Last five league matches:Chelsea W L D D L; Man City W W D W W
Top scorers (all competitions):Juan Mata & Fernando Torres (Chelsea) 7; Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko & Carlos Tevez (Man City) 7
Match odds:H 6-4 A 13-8 D 23-10
Referee:Chris Foy (Merseyside)
Southampton (19) v Newcastle (12)
Frazer Richardson and Richard Chaplow remain Southampton’s only absentees for the clash with Newcastle. Right back Richardson is out after suffering a recurrence of a thigh injury last week, while Chaplow is also out through injury. Guly do Prado and Artur Boruc could be involved after being left out of the squad for the games with Swansea and QPR.
