English Premiership Previews

Today

Blackburn (17) v Middlesbrough (11)

Middlesbrough defender Gary Pallister returns to action after suspension and injury but Gianluca Festa and Steve Vickers are suspended, while midfielder Robbie Mustoe is also banned.

Blackburn go into tomorrow's crucial match without striker Kevin Gallacher, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a groin injury. Brian Kidd is also waiting on the fitness of Stephane Henchoz, who has back and groin niggles after playing for Switzerland in a Euro 2000 qualifier.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five league matches: Blackburn L L L D W, Middlesbrough L D L W W.

Top scorers: Ashley Ward (Blackburn) 19; Hamilton Ricard (Middlesbrough) 15.

Match odds: H 4-5; A 3-1; D 9-4.

Referee: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).

Charlton (19) v Chelsea (3)

Record signing Graham Stuart will make his after moving from Sheffield United for £1.1 million. John Barnes is out with a groin injury and manager Alan Curbishley must also decide if Yugoslavian goalkeeper Sasa Ilic is in the right frame of mind in view of the Balkans conflict.

Gustavo Poyet is back in the Chelsea squad after more than three months out with a knee injury. Dan Petrescu has reported back from international duty with a sore toe, while Celestine Babayaro and Albert Ferrer will have to pass injury tests before playing.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five league matches: Charlton W W D L D, Chelsea D W W L W.

Top scorers: Graham Stuart, Clive Mendonca (Charlton) 7; Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea) 12.

Match odds: H 7-2; A 4-6; D 12-5.

Referee: R Harris (Oxford).

Derby (7) v Newcastle (12)

Mikkel Beck could make his Derby debut partnering Deon Burton up front in place of Kevin Harper. Jim Smith is without captain Igor Stimac, who could be out for the rest of the season with a cracked bone in his ankle, but Tony Dorigo returns and Stefan Schnoor will play in midfield.

England skipper Alan Shearer is out of Newcastle's line-up with an ankle injury. The striker will be joined on the sidelines by German midfielder Dietmar Hamann, who also has an ankle problem, and the suspended Warren Barton, although longterm absentee Duncan Ferguson is in the squad.

Last season: Derby 1 Newcastle 0, Newcastle 0 Derby 0.

Last five league matches: Derby L D W W L, Newcastle L D W L L.

Top scorers: Paulo Wanchope (Derby) 8; Alan Shearer (Newcastle) 15.

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

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).

Leeds (4) v Nottm Forest (20)

Alfie Haaland and David Batty are suspended for Leeds, while Stephen McPhail is on Republic of Ireland duty in the World Under-20 Championships in Nigeria. It could mean a place in the starting line-up for either Bruno Ribeiro or Matthew Jones, while teenage striker Alan Smith is available after a one-match suspension.

Pierre van Hooijdonk, Mathieu Louis-Jean and Chris BartWilliams miss the date with Leeds through suspension but central defender Richard Gough is ready to return after a two-match absence with a back injury. Mark Crossley and Andy Johnson are available after reporting back from international duty with Wales, while transfer-listed defender Des Lyttle is in the frame for his first start in more than two months.

Last season: No corresponding fixtures.

Last five league matches: Leeds W W W W W, Nottm Forest L D L W L.

Top scorers: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds) 16; Dougie Freedman (Nottm Forest) 10.

Match odds: H 2-7; A 8-1; D 7-2.

Referee: P Alcock (Halstead).

Liverpool (9) v Everton (16)

Liverpool, WHO have played just one match in five weeks, look to have skipper Paul Ince, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Vegard Heggem and Dominic Matteo all back after injury. However, Jamie Carragher still has one match of his threegame suspension to serve. Boss Gerard Houllier must decide whether to recall Steve McManaman, left out of Liverpool's last game at Derby, for what will be his last derby match before moving to Real Madrid in the summer.

Ibrahima Bakayoko looks set to join Don Hutchison on the sidelines for today's Merseyside derby because of a hamstring strain. Hutchison begins a three-match ban, so Francis Jeffers could make his derby debut.

Last season: Liverpool 1 Everton 1, Everton 2 Liverpool 0.

Last five league matches: Liverpool W L D L L, Everton L D W L L.

Top scorers: Michael Owen (Liverpool) 21; Ibrahima Bakayoko (Everton) 7.

Match odds: H 8-11; A 10-3; D 9-4.

Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).

Sheffield Wed (13) v Coventry City (15)

Striker Richard Cresswell looks set to make his debut for Wednesday following his deadline-day move from York last week. With Andy Booth suspended and the Owls having lost their last four games and not having scored for five hours of Premiership football, boss Danny Wilson is likely to go with £1 million man Cresswell. Philip Scott, a new signing from St Johnstone, will get a place on the bench.

Coventry have striker John Aloisi and full-back David Burrows suspended. Sky Blues manager Gordon Strachan must also find a replacement for Roland Nilsson, out for the rest of the season after being injured against Arsenal.

Last season: Sheff Wed 0 Coventry 0, Coventry 1 Sheff Wed 0.

Last five league matches: Sheff Wed W L L L L, Coventry L W W D L.

Top scorers: Richard Cresswell (Sheff Wed) 19; John Aloisi (Coventry) 21.

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

Referee: K Burge (Tonypandy).

Southampton (18) v Arsenal (2)

Latvian striker Marians Pahars, 22, is expected to be named among the Southampton substitutes. Former England striker David Hirst could also feature after missing the season so far with a cruciate knee ligament injury but manager Dave Jones is facing a crisis in midfield with three key players suspended. Matthew Le Tissier, Hassan Kachloul and Chris Marsden are serving one-match bans while England under-21 midfielder Matthew Oakley is battling to recover from a rib injury.

Arsenal are without Dennis Bergkamp - ruled out by a virus - and Marc Overmars is a serious doubt because of infected blisters on both feet. John Lukic is on the bench because reserve goalkeeper Alex Manninger dislocated a wrist in training and is out for the season. Nwankwo Kanu is likely to take Bergkamp's place and make only his second Arsenal start and Kaba Diawara is on standby to replace Overmars. Fredrik Ljungberg is likely to come in for Petit and Tony Adams and Lee Dixon have recovered from back and ankle injuries.

Last season: Southampton 1 Arsenal 3, Arsenal 3 Southampton 0.

Last five league matches: Southampton L L W L W, Arsenal W D W W W.

Top scorers: Egil Ostenstad (Southampton) 8; Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal) 15.

Match odds: H 4-1; A 8-13; D 12-5.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).

Tottenham (10) v Leicester (14)

Worthington Cup final hero Allan Nielsen is set to keep his place in the Tottenham team for the return clash with Leicester. England stars Tim Sherwood and Darren Anderton are serving one-match bans. Anderton's place is likely to go to either Ruel Fox or Andy Sinton although transfer-listed Jose Dominguez could be given a surprise start.

Leicester striker Emile Heskey will start the grudge match against Spurs after undergoing intensive treatment on a back injury. Martin O'Neill's only injury worry is Matt Elliott, who suffered a back injury during Scotland's defeat to the Czech Republic in midweek. Robbie Savage, targeted by Spurs in the Worthington Cup Final, will also start.

Last season: Tottenham 1 Leicester 1, Leicester 3 Tottenham 0.

Last five league matches: Tottenham D D W L W, Leicester L L L W D.

Top scorers: Chris Armstrong (Tottenham) 12; Arnar Gunnlaugsson (Leicester) 14.

Match odds: H 8-13; A 4-1; D 12-5.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).

Wimbledon (8) v Manchester Utd (1)

Wimbledon are sweating on the fitness of defender Kenny Cunningham, who has a calf strain. But quick-silver winger Gareth Ainsworth is back in the squad for the first time in four months after injury.

Jaap Stam is out of the game at Selhurst Park after suffering a training ground ankle injury during Holland's get-together for the midweek friendly against Argentina, but should be fit to face Juventus in Wednesday's Champions' league semi-final. Ronny Johnsen and Wes Brown are on standby to partner Henning Berg in the centre of defence in Stam's absence against the Dons. Jesper Blomqvist is fit again after a foot injury and will come in if Ryan Giggs fails to make it back from a hamstring injury. Both Roy Keane and David Beckham have also been declared fit after injury scares.

Last season: Wimbledon 2 Man Utd 5, Man Utd 2 Wimbledon 0.

Last five league matches: Wimbledon D W L L L, Man Utd D W W W W.

Top scorers: Marcus Gayle (Wimbledon) 10; Dwight Yorke (Man Utd) 26.

Match odds: H 3-1; A 4-5; D 9-4.

Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).

Odds supplied courtesy of William Hill