Two England defenders, Tony Adams and Gareth Southgate, return to action today hoping that success in the fourth round of the FA Cup will add fresh impetus to a season which, for each of their teams, has begun to drift.
Adams is due back in Arsenal's defence for the tie of the afternoon at Middlesbrough. Southgate is set for a recall by Aston Villa, who face West Bromwich Albion at home.
Certainly Arsenal are in need of a fit, in-form Adams just now. Their captain has not played a Premiership game since December 13th, when he was held responsible for two of Blackburn's goals in a 3-1 home defeat.
Since then he has been troubled by back and ankle problems, spending a week in the south of France for hydrotherapy treatment. This was the latest in a series of injury worries for Adams, who had previously undergone surgery on a knee and an ankle.
With Martin Keown damaging a hamstring at Coventry last Saturday and David Seaman subsequently discovering he had chipped a finger in the same match, Arsenal will renew acquaintances with Paul Merson on Teesside looking to the defensive experience of Adams and Steve Bould to see them through. Alex Manninger, Seaman's Austrian understudy, will be in goal.
Arsene Wenger has also lost Ian Wright from his attack with the hamstring injury the striker suffered in the third round replay at Port Vale, when Seaman's save helped Arsenal win a shoot-out after they had been held to 1-1 in extra time. But Marc Overmars is due to return.
Promotion back to the Premiership remains Middlesbrough's priority and Bryan Robson, who looks like resting Vladimir Kinder and Mikkel Beck, will not be over-dismayed if they lose today having reached both cup finals last season.
Southgate may have to work harder to revive an Aston Villa team for whom the season is in danger of falling apart. Last weekend's 5-0 defeat at Blackburn was the latest in a run of wretched league performances and culminated in Sava Milosevic, their Yugoslav striker, being put on the transfer list by Brian Little after an alleged spitting incident involving Villa supporters.
Having nearly gone out of the Cup at Portsmouth, where they were 2-0 down at one point, Villa may prove vulnerable should West Brom recover some of the attacking form which before Christmas found them challenging for the lead of Division One. Should Villa go out Little will be faced with a critical few weeks in which to pull his team around before their UEFA Cup quarter-final with Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United should ease past Walsall this afternoon to reach the last 16 and tomorrow Manchester City will be hoping to join them, given West Ham's indifferent away record. Les Ferdinand insists he is fit for Tottenham's home tie with Barnsley today, but Christian Gross may prefer to pair David Ginola with Jurgen Klinsmann.
