Man United face defensive headache

Premiership soccer: Round Up of Premier League statistics for all of the matches over the New Year weekend

Barclays Premier League statistics

Saturday, December 31

Arsenal(5) v QPR(16)

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who missed the Boxing Day draw against Wolves, has recovered from illness and is expected to return. Defender Bacary Sagna is on schedule to return at the end of January along with fullback Kieran Gibbs (stomach). Midfielder Jack Wilshere(ankle) could be back by the middle of February while full-back Carl Jenkinson remains sidelined with a back problem and Brazilian left-sided player Andre Santos (ankle) is expected to be sidelined until March.

QPR manager Neil Warnock has no fresh injury concerns. The Rs came out unscathed from their 1-1 draw at Swansea, meaning Warnock could name the same squad. Anton Ferdinand continues to miss out in defence with a hamstring injury, while Armand Traore, Matt Connolly and Jay Bothroyd will all be hoping to feature against their former club.

Last season:No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches: Arsenal W W L W D; QPR D L L L D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Robin van Persie (Arsenal) 20; Heidar Helguson

(QPR) 7.

Match odds: H 1-4 A 10-1 D 5-1.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

Bolton(19) v Wolves(17)

Bolton boss Owen Coyle has Sam Ricketts, Gretar Steinsson and Joe Riley back in first team contention. Ricketts was an unused substitute for the Boxing Day defeat against Newcastle. Steinsson (illness) and Riley (hamstring) have recovered and could feature. Midfielder Darren Pratley (virus) is a doubt while it remains to be seen whether or not Gary Cahill will play after Coyle confirmed a fee for the centre-back has been agreed with Chelsea.

Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas starts a three-match ban for his sending off against Arsenal. Milijas, whose appeal against the red card was rejected by the Football Association, could be replaced by Dave Edwards if he has shaken off the illness which ruled him out of the 1-1 draw with the Gunners. Full-back Ronald Zubar is a major doubt with the knee injury suffered against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and likely to be replaced by Richard Stearman.

Last season:Bolton 1 Wolves 0, Wolves 2 Bolton 3.

Last five league matches: Bolton L L L W L; Wolves W L L D D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Ivan Klasnic (Bolton) 7; Steven Fletcher

(Wolves) 7.

Match odds:H 21-20 A 12-5 D 13-5.

Referee:Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Chelsea(4) v Aston Villa(12)

Ramires is available after suspension for Chelsea and Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas must decide whether to recall the Brazilian following his one-match ban or stick with his midfield of Frank Lampard, Raul Meireles and Oriol Romeu.

Defenders John Terry and Jose Bosingwa have shaken off knocks picked up in the Boxing Day draw against Fulham but Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel (both hamstring) remain sidelined.

Villa hope to have record signing Darren Bent available after a three-game absence with a thigh problem. Bent will be included in the squad if he comes through training unscathed but fellow striker Emile Heskey is ruled out with an Achilles problem.

Right-back Alan Hutton returns after serving a one-game ban for his sending off against Arsenal but faces a fight for his spot after Carlos Cuellar’s recent impressive form.

Last season:Chelsea 3 Aston Villa 3, Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 0.

Last five league matches: Chelsea W W D D D; Aston Villa L W L L D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea) 10; Darren Bent & Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) 5.

Match odds:H 1-4 A 10-1 D 5-1.

Referee:Mark Halsey (Lancashire).

Manchester United(2) v Blackburn(20)

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson must contend with massive defensive problems. Jonny Evans (calf) has joined Nemanja Vidic (knee), Chris Smalling (tonsillitis) and Fabio (hamstring) on the sidelines. Phil Jones (illness) and Rio Ferdinand (back) only have an outside chance of being involved, which might mean Michael Carrick partnering Patrice Evra in central defence, with Antonio Valencia at right-back.

Martin Olsson is hoping to make his long-awaited Blackburn comeback. The Swede has featured just once for Steve Kean’s men since November 5 after suffering a hamstring injury but could ease a major injury crisis for the Lancashire outfit. David Dunn and Junior Hoilett (both hamstring) face late tests but goalkeeper Paul Robinson (calf) is among seven senior players definitely out, as is Gael Givet, even though the Frenchman has returned to training following a minor heart procedure.

Last season:Blackburn 1 Man Utd 1, Man Utd 7 Blackburn 1.

Last five league matches:Man Utd W W W W W; Blackburn W L L L D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 16; Ayegbeni Yakubu (Blackburn) 11.

Match odds:H 1-8 A 18-1 D 7-1.

Referee:Mike Dean (Wirral).

Norwich(11) v Fulham(13)

Norwich left-back Marc Tierney (groin) is 50-50 but fellow defender Kyle

Naughton is available again having missed the defeat to parent club Tottenham through suspension. Ritchie de Laet (back) remains doubtful after coming off against Spurs.

Andrew Johnson (groin), Bobby Zamora (Achilles) are set to miss out for Fulham and Damien Duff is another injury concern. Fulham boss Martin Jol is also without defender Zdenek Grygera (knee) and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (spine).

Midfielder Simon Davies (back) is hopeful of a return for the New Year fixtures.

Last season:No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches:Norwich L W D D L; Fulham W L W L D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Grant Holt (Norwich) 7; Andrew Johnson (Fulham)11.

Match odds: H 6-4 A 17-10 D 12-5.

Referee:Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

Stoke(8) v Wigan(18)

Stoke boss Tony Pulis will assess striker Peter Crouch and midfielder Glenn Whelan, who have missed the last two games through illness and a calf injury respectively, while there will also be a fitness test for Robert Huth after the defender picked up a knock in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Forward Ricardo Fuller missed that fixture due to an ankle complaint but is expected to be available.

Wigan will have striker Conor Sammon available after the red card he picked up at Manchester United was rescinded by the Football Association. The Latics have no new injury problems and could soon welcome back defender Emmerson Boyce, who has been out since the beginning of November with a hamstring problem.

Last season:Stoke 0 Wigan 1, Wigan 2 Stoke 2.

Last five league matches:Stoke W W W L D; Wigan L W D D L.

Top scorers (all competitions):Kenwyne Jones, Peter Crouch & Jonathan Walters

(Stoke) 6; Franco Di Santo & Jordi Gomez (Wigan) 4.

Match odds: H 4-6 A 4-1 D 14-5.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).

Swansea(14) v Tottenham(3)

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers will make a late decision over the fitness of

Angel Rangel. The Spanish full-back, recently back from an ankle injury, was forced off with a similar problem in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against QPR, with Jazz Richards set to continue if Rangel is ruled out. Left-back Neil Taylor is set to return from a knee injury but centre-half Steven Caulker misses out due to the terms of his loan from Spurs, with club captain Garry Monk coming into the side.

Michael Dawson misses out for Spurs despite returning to full training after four months out with an Achilles injury. Aaron Lennon (hamstring) and Ledley King (knee) are also out but Jermain Defoe could be fit after making encouraging progress in his return from a hamstring problem that has kept him out of the club’s past two matches. Sebastien Bassong (back) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (ankle) are doubtful.

Last season: No corresponding fixture.

Last five league matches: Swansea L W D L D; Tottenham W L W D W.

Top scorers (all competitions): Danny Graham (Swansea) 6; Emmanuel Adebayor & Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 9.

Match odds:H 15-4 A 8-11 D 13-5.

Referee:Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

Sunday, January 1

Sunderland(15) v Manchester City(1)

Defenders Phil Bardsley (thigh) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) are major doubts for Sunderland after picking up their respective injuries in the 1-1 Boxing Day draw with Everton. With Michael Turner (knee) also on the casualty list, manager Martin O’Neill is short of defensive options. Midfielder Kieran Richardson has not trained all week because of illness but O’Neill is keeping his fingers crossed. Connor Wickham, Fraizer Campbell and Craig Gordon (all knee) and Simon Mignolet (fractured nose and eye socket) remain on the sidelines.

Manchester City full-backs Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov are back in contention. Right-back Richards was not risked in the Boxing Day draw at West Brom after a calf problem while left-back Kolarov has missed six games with a groin injury. The pair’s possible return means manager Roberto Mancini has a full-strength squad, aside from the absent Carlos Tevez.

Last season:Man City 5 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Man City 0.

Last five league matches: Sunderland L W L W D; Man City W L W W D.

Top scorers (all competitions): Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland) 5; Sergio Aguero (Man City) 15

Match odds:H 5-1 A 1-2 D 17-5.

Referee:Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

West Brom(9) v Everton(10)

West Brom midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is a major fitness doubt

after aggravating a groin injury during the home draw with Manchester City on Boxing Day. James Morrison, if he recovers from a recent hamstring problem, and Graham Dorrans are in contention to replace him. Central defender Jonas Olsson is expected to shake off an ankle knock suffered against Roberto Mancini’s side, while Billy Jones is again set to deputise at right-back for Steven Reid, who is recovering from knee surgery.

Midfielder Marouane Fellaini misses out for Everton due to an abductor strain. The Belgian international sat out the Boxing Day draw at Sunderland but Jack Rodwell, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since December 4, could be ready for a return as he has trained this week. Loan signing Landon Donovan is not eligible to play until next week.

Last season:West Brom 1 Everton 0, Everton 1 West Brom 4.

Last five league matches:West Brom D L W W D; Everton L L D W D.

Top scorers (all competitions):Shane Long (West Brom) 5; Leon Osman, Leighton Baines & Apostolos Vellios (Everton) 3.

Match odds:H 13-8 A 17-10 D 9-4.

Referee:Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).