Aston Villa (15) v Newcastle (6)
Central defender Olof Mellberg will return after resting his sore Achilles and sitting out Villa`s midweek Worthington Cup win over Preston. He will replace the suspended Steve Staunton. Midfielder Ian Taylor (thigh) is extremely doubtful, so Mark Kinsella looks set to deputise.
Newcastle have been dealt a massive blow with the news that Portuguese midfielder Hugo Viana has partially dislocated his shoulder. The 19-year-old suffered the injury in a training ground collision and will be out of action for several weeks. Full-back Aaron Hughes is fit again after missing last weekend's 2-1 win over Everton with a virus, while Nikos Dabizas will hope for a return after being rested against David Moyes' side.
Last season: Aston Villa 1 Newcastle 1, Newcastle 3 Aston Villa 0
Last five league matches: Aston Villa D W D W L, Newcastle W L W L W
Top scorers: Aston Villa - Dion Dublin 6; Newcastle - Alan Shearer 11
Match odds: H 13/10 A 13/8 D 11/5
Referee: S Bennett (Kent)
Bolton (19) v Blackburn (9)
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce can recall influential midfielder Per Frandsen while Gareth Farrelly, Gudni Bergsson and Mike Whitlow also hope to come through late fitness tests. Bruno N'Gotty, who missed last week's defeat to Manchester City through suspension, is struggling with injury and Bernard Mendy is not expected to return until the new year. Stig Tofting is once again expected to make himself available despite requiring an operation on a broken bone in his foot.
Garry Flitcroft is in line to return for Blackburn after several weeks out with ankle ligament trouble. New signing Hakan Sukur is not in the squad as Souness is giving him two to three weeks to get fit.
Last season: Bolton 1 Blackburn 1, Blackburn 1 Bolton 1
Last five league matches: Bolton L D W D L, Blackburn D D L L W
Top scorers: Bolton - Youri Djorkaeff 4; Blackburn - Dwight Yorke 6
Match odds: H 6/4 A 6/4 D 21/10
Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire)
Charlton (12) v Liverpool (2)
In-form Charlton have captain Richard Rufus back from suspension and fellow defender Mark Fish has recovered from flu. Claus Jensen (calf) is ready to start following a substitute appearance at Leeds on Sunday and Jonatan Johansson (hamstring) is back in full training.
Chris Kirkland will finally get his chance to establish himself as Liverpool's number one goalkeeper, taking over from Jerzy Dudek. Bruno Cheyrou and Patrik Berger are both out, while there is a doubt over Emile Heskey - but Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Michael Owen, Danny Murphy, Dietmar Hamann and Djimi Traore all return to contention after missing the midweek Worthington Cup clash with Ipswich.
Last season: Liverpool 2 Charlton 0, Charlton 0 Liverpool 2
Last five league matches: Charlton D L W W W, Liverpool W L D L L
Top scorers: Charlton - Jason Euell 3; Liverpool - Michael Owen 13
Match odds: H 11/4 A 5/6 D 11/5
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire)
Everton (5) v Chelsea (3)
Everton will be without Mark Pembridge (hamstring) while Lee Carsley is battling to recover from a foot injury. Scot Gemmill and Gary Naysmith offer midfield cover. Tony Hibbert and Alan Stubbs should return after being rested in midweek, but Wayne Rooney will probably be on the bench again.
Graeme Le Saux looks set to replace suspended Celestine Babayaro at left-back for Chelsea. Boudewijn Zenden, an unused substitute in midweek, could make his first appearance after a two-month ankle injury. Albert Ferrer is a fortnight away from his comeback from a hamstring strain, while Mikael Forssell will be back from his long-term knee injury in January.
Last season: Chelsea 3 Everton 0, Everton 0 Chelsea 0
Last five league matches: Everton W W W W L, Chelsea D W W D W
Top scorers: Everton - Kevin Campbell 9; Chelsea - Gianfranco Zola 9
Match odds: H 11/8 A 13/8 D 21/10
Referee: E Wolstenholme (Lancashire)
Fulham (14) v Leeds (16)
Fulham will be without all four recognised strikers in Facundo Sava (calf), Steve Marlet (suspended), Louis Saha (hamstring) and Barry Hayles (neck). Centre-back Zat Knight, forced off at half-time in the Worthington Cup defeat at Wigan with a hamstring injury, is a major doubt because of an aggravated nerve.
Leeds boss Terry Venables has been struck by more injury woe. Robbie Fowler and Seth Johnson continued their return to fitness in a midweek reserve game and booked their place in the squad but Mark Viduka (shoulder), Harry Kewell (virus) and Lee Bowyer (ankle) are all definitely out of the vital Loftus Road clash.
Last season: Leeds 0 Fulham 1, Fulham 0 Leeds 0
Last five league matches: Fulham L L D W L, Leeds L W L L L
Top scorers: Fulham - Steve Marlet 7; Leeds - Harry Kewell 8
Match odds: H Evs A 21/10 D 23/10
Referee: P Durkin (Dorset)
Man Utd (4) v Arsenal (1)
Gary Neville and Quinton Fortune, who played in Manchester United`s win against Liverpool but missed the Worthington Cup tie at Burnley, are expected to return. Fabien Barthez is also ready to return after being rested in midweek while Laurent Blanc is fit again and back in the squad after recovering from a calf injury. Juan Sebastian Veron is close to a comeback after a bout of flu and could be on the bench.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman is out as his groin injury has failed to clear up in time. Rami Shaaban should therefore start at Old Trafford, while Martin Keown will return to the side after hamstring trouble to replace the suspended Sol Campbell. Ashley Cole (ankle) should also be back, although Lauren faces a fitness test on his ankle and Oleg Luzhny is on standby. Ray Parlour and Kanu (both knee) are still short of match fitness, while striker Francis Jeffers (ankle) is ruled out.
Last season: Man Utd 0 Arsenal 1, Arsenal 3 Man Utd 1
Last five league matches: Man Utd W L D W W; Arsenal W W W L W
Top scorers: Man Utd - Ruud van Nistelrooy 16; Arsenal - Thierry Henry 15
Match odds: H 5/4 A 7/4 D 11/5
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire)
Middlesbrough (7) v West Ham (20)
Middlesbrough are without Joseph-Desire Job, who fractured his skull in last week`s defeat by West Brom. The Cameroon international suffered a crack at the base of his skull in a clash of heads with defender Darren Moore and has been ordered to rest for at least 10 days. Full-back Robbie Stockdale (heel) is still struggling but keeper Mark Schwarzer has recovered from a hand injury and Frenchman Franck Queudrue returns from suspension.
Ian Pearce will continue up front for West Ham after skipper Paolo di Canio had surgery on his knee. Frederic Kanoute (groin), Steve Lomas (ankle) and Don Hutchison (knee) are still a week away from fitness, but Edouard Cisse returns from suspension.
Last season: West Ham 1 Middlesbrough 0, Middlesbrough 2 West Ham 0
Last five league matches: Middlesbrough L W L W L, West Ham L L D L L
Top scorers: Middlesbrough - Massimo Maccarone 4; West Ham - Paolo di Canio 6
Match odds: H 8/13 A 4/1 D 23/10
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire)
Southampton (10) v Birmingham (11)
Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi (knee injury) is in danger of missing his first game for thre months while midfielder Chris Marsden misses the visit of his former club through suspension as he serves a one-match ban for being booked five times this season. Record signing Rory Delap has overcome a finger injury to keep his place in midfield while striker Brett Ormerod is in contention for a recall in attack but Latvian Marian Pahars and midfielder Mark Draper are out until the New Year with ankle problems.
Birmingham must do without suspended Robbie Savage, so Damien Johnson and Bryan Hughes are in contention to partner Aliou Cisse in the centre of midfield. Martin Grainger, Michael Johnson and skipper Steve Vickers could come into contention for a place in the squad after returning from long injury lay-offs. Striker Geoff Horsfield will serve the final match of a three-game ban.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Southampton L D L W W, Birmingham W L D W D
Top scorers: Southampton - James Beattie 9; Birmingham - Stern John 6
Match odds: H 5/6 A 11/4 D 11/5
Referee: J Winter (Cleveland)
Tottenham (8) v West Brom (17)
Tottenham`s Yugoslav defender Goran Bunjevcevic serves a one-match ban while Anthony Gardner (knee) and winger Matthew Etherington (ankle) are manager Glenn Hoddle's only injured absentees. Canadian keeper Lars Hirschfeld will continue on the substitute's bench while unsettled striker Les Ferdinand is also in the squad, along with Wales midfielder Simon Davies who is available again after suspension.
West Brom defender Darren Moore should be fit for following a sickening clash of heads with Middlesbrough's Joseph-Desire Job during last week's 1-0 Hawthorns victory over the Teesside club. Defender Phil Gilchrist is in the squad but may not play following a cortisone injection for an ankle injury.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Tottenham D L L W D, West Brom L D D L W
Top scorers: Tottenham - Teddy Sheringham 6; West Brom - Jason Roberts 3
Match odds: H 2/5 A 13/2 D 13/5
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire)