Injuries and suspensions: All the Premier League team news ChelseaChelsea West Ham UnitedWest Ham United Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: 2-0 home win FANTASY PICK: Cesc Fabregas KEY STAT: Sam Allardyce has managed just two wins in 21 Premier League games against Chelsea (W2 D6 L13. Allardyce has no wins against Jose Mourinho in the competition (D3 L5), but his three draws have all come in away games (in four visits to Stamford Bridge). - CHELSEA Eden Hazard could be a doubt after he limped off late on in Mondays 2-0 victory over Stoke after a tackle from Jonathan Walters. Oscar will hope for a recall after being left on the bench at the Britannia Stadium. Provisional squad: Courtois, Cech, Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Luis, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Terry, Fabregas, Mikel, Matic, Hazard, Ramires, Matic, Schurrle, Oscar, Salah, Willian, Drogba, Remy, Costa. - WEST HAM Sam Allardyce will welcome midfielder Mark Noble back into his squad after he missed the last four games with an Achilles problem. James Tomkins (hamstring) is the only absentee for the Hammers -- with James Collins ready to step in alongside Winston Reid in the heart of their defence. Provisional squad: Adrian, Jaaskelainen, Cresswell, OBrien, Reid, Tomkins, Collins, Jenkinson, Noble, Kouyate, Song, Nolan, Amalfitano, Downing, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Cole, Zarate, Sakho, Carroll, Valencia. BurnleyBurnley LiverpoolLiverpool 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 1-1 draw FANTASY PICK: Raheem Sterling KEY STAT: Burnley have failed to score in their last four league games against the Reds and in five of the last six matches in all competitions. - BURNLEY Sam Vokes could return after he stepped up his recovery from cruciate knee ligament damage by scoring twice for the development squad on Monday and is being considered for a place on the bench. Matt Taylor is also in contention following an Achilles injury but centre-half Michael Duff (calf) and Stephen Ward are still struggling ahead of the game. Provisional squad: Heaton, Cisak, Trippier, Shackell, Mee, Reid, Wallace, Kightly, Sordell, Marney, Jutkiewicz, Boyd, Gilks, Keane, Long, Barnes, Arfield, Ings, Vokes, Chalobah, Jones. - LIVERPOOL Striker Mario Balotelli returns from suspension but will only be on the bench. Fellow forward Fabio Borini is banned after his sending-off last weekend against Arsenal while midfielder Joe Allen has not yet recovered from a knee injury. Defenders Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson (both groin) and Jon Flanagan (knee) are still not fit. Provisional squad: Jones, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho, Henderson, Gerrard, Lucas, Markovic, Coutinho, Sterling, Lallana, Mignolet, Manquillo, Moreno, Enrique, Can, Lambert, Balotelli. Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace SouthamptonSouthampton 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 0-0 draw FANTASY PICK: Mile Jedinak KEY STAT: Saints have won the last five league games against Crystal Palace without the Eagles finding the net. Crystal Palace have never beaten Southampton in the Premier League (W0 D4 L6). - CRYSTAL PALACE Kevin Doyle and Fraizer Campbell will battle it out to spearhead Crystal Palaces attack, with Marouane Chamakh again ruled out through thigh trouble. Manager Neil Warnock will keep faith with his 4-2-3-1 formation for the visit of Ronald Koemans Saints, with Palace seeking to arrest a run of just one win in 11 games in all competitions. Provisional squad: Speroni, Hennessey, Kelly, Fryers, Delaney, Mariappa, Dann, Ward, Hangeland, Jedinak, Bannan, McArthur, Bolasie, Puncheon, Zaha, Gayle, Campbell, Doyle. - SOUTHAMPTON Dusan Tadic is expected to return but captain Jose Fonte is suspended. Tadic missed Saturdays 3-0 victory over Everton with a knock but resumed training on Tuesday while Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Florin Gardos are all back from bans. Jay Rodriguez (cruciate ligament), Sam Gallagher (knee), Jack Cork (knock) and Jake Hesketh (knee), however, remain out. Provisional squad: Forster, K Davis, Cropper, Clyne, Bertrand, Targett, Alderweireld, Gardos, Yoshida, McCarthy, S Davis, Gape, Flannigan, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Wanyama, Reed, Mane, Isgrove, McQueen, Mayuka, Long, Pelle, Seager. EvertonEverton Stoke CityStoke City 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 2-0 home win FANTASY PICK: Romelu Lukaku KEY STAT: Stoke have scored just 10 goals in 12 Premier League games against Everton and just three in six games at Goodison Park. - EVERTON Everton forward Kevin Mirallas (ankle) is pushing to return. James McCarthy (hamstring) could also be back in action during the Christmas programme, which continues with a trip to Newcastle on Sunday. His fellow midfielders Leon Osman (ankle) and Darron Gibson (knee) are not yet ready to return while defender Tony Hibbert faces a fortnight out after suffering a knock in training. Provisional squad: Howard, Robles, Coleman, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, McCarthy, Barkley, McGeady, Naismith, Besic, Barry, Lukaku, Pienaar, Stones, Garbutt, Alcaraz, Etoo, Kone. - STOKE CITY Stoke boss Mark Hughes hopes a neck problem will not rule Peter Crouch out after he was forced off by the issue in the second half of Mondays 2-0 home loss to Chelsea. It remains to be seen whether midfielder Stephen Ireland, who missed that game due to a knee injury, will be fit enough to be involved against the Toffees. Provisional squad: Begovic, Butland, Shawcross, Wilson, Huth, Pieters, Cameron, Bardsley, Muniesa, Nzonzi, Adam, Ireland, Whelan, Walters, Arnautovic, Bojan, Assaidi, Diouf, Crouch. Leicester CityLeicester City Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 2-0 Spurs win FANTASY PICK: Harry Kane KEY STAT: There have been 28 goals scored in the last six meetings between Leicester and Spurs in all competitions. In the last four meetings between these two sides the team scoring first has failed to go and win (D1 L3). - LEICESTER CITY Chris Wood is a doubt for struggling Leicester after leaving training early because of an infection on Tuesday. The striker will be assessed but he has not started for the Foxes since their Capital One Cup defeat to Shrewsbury in August. Matt Upson is expected to make his return from a foot injury in the new year while Kasper Schmeichel remains out with a broken metatarsal he suffered in training. Provisional squad: Hamer, Moore, De Laet, Konchesky, Wasilewski, Drinkwater, James, King, Cambiasso, Albrighton, Hammond, Mahrez, Knockaert, Vardy, Ulloa, Nugent, Schlupp, Wood, Powell. - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful Ryan Mason will be fit after he was forced off during Saturdays 2-1 win over Burnley with a twisted ankle. But Pochettino revealed the issue is not as bad as first feared and he is now in contention, as is striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who has not featured since early November. Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Friedel, Walker, Naughton, Dier, Rose, Davies, Fazio, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Chiriches, Stambouli, Dembele, Paulinho, Mason, Capoue, Bentaleb, Lamela, Eriksen, Chadli, Lennon, Townsend, Soldado, Kane, Adebayor. Manchester UnitedManchester United Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 3-1 home win FANTASY PICK: Robin van Persie KEY STAT: The Red Devils have won 17 of the last 18, been victorious in the last 10 in a row and won the last 10 on Boxing Day at Old Trafford. - MANCHESTER UNITED Defender Chris Smalling is making a good recovery from his groin injury and could play. Midfielders Ander Herrera (muscle injury), Marouane Fellaini (illness) and Daley Blind (knee) are out. Left-back Luke Shaw (ankle) is also unavailable and Marcos Rojo is a major doubt because of the thigh injury that has sidelined him for the last two matches. Provisional squad: De Gea, Lindegaard, Amos, Vermijl, Blackett, Rojo, Thorpe, Smalling, Evans, Jones, McNair, Rafael, Pereira, Fletcher, Valencia, Lingard, Anderson, Carrick, Young, Di Maria, Mata, Januzaj, Falcao, Rooney, Van Persie, W Keane. - NEWCASTLE UNITED Alan Pardew will be without midfield enforcer Cheick Tiote through suspension. Goalkeeper Tim Krul is a week ahead of schedule in his recovery from an ankle injury, but like number two Rob Elliot (thigh) still has some way to go. Striker Papiss Cisse continues to battle the after-effects of knee surgery and a virus, while midfielders Mehdi Abeid (toe) and Siem de Jong (thigh) are back in training but unavailable for the game at Old Trafford, and Rolando Aarons (hamstring), Gabriel Obertan (thigh) and Ryan Taylor (knee) remain on the sidelines. Provisional squad: Alnwick, Woodman, Janmaat, Dummett, S. Taylor, Williamson, Coloccini, Streete, Haidara, Anita, Sissoko, Cabella, Colback, Gouffran, Ameobi, Riviere, Cisse, Perez, Armstrong. SunderlandSunderland Hull CityHull City 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 0-0 draw FANTASY PICK: Wes Brown KEY STAT: There have been six red cards in six Premier League meetings between these two sides, including five in the last three games alone. Sunderland won the first four Premier League matches with Hull City but have lost the last two. - SUNDERLAND Full-back Anthony Reveillere is out and will not play again until the new year. The Frenchman suffered a calf injury in the warm-up before Sundays 1-0 derby victory at Newcastle and will be sidelined for up to four weeks. Gus Poyet faces a decision on whether to field skipper John OShea in his place, as he did at St James Park, or turn to fit-again specialist Billy Jones, who has recovered from a hamstring problem, while midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini is also in contention following his return from an ankle injury. Striker Connor Wickham serves a one-match ban for an accumulation of bookings. Provisional squad: Pantilimon, Mannone, Jones, Brown, OShea, Vergini, Coates, Cattermole, Rodwell, Bridcutt, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson, Buckley, Alvarez, Mavrias, Giaccherini, Fletcher, Altidore. - HULL CITY Hull are stretched to the limit. Midfielders Jake Livermore and Tom Huddlestone are suspended, Mohamed Diame is out with a knee problem and centre-half Michael Dawson has a torn hamstring. Paul McShane and Hatem Ben Arfa are both exiled from the squad and captain Curtis Davies (calf) is a doubt but Tom Ince and Maynor Figueroa have been recalled from loan spells. Provisional squad: McGregor, Jakupovic, Davies, Rosenior, McShane, Figueroa, Robertson, Chester, Bruce, Elmohamady, Meyler, Ince, Brady, Aluko, Quinn, Ramirez, Hernandez, Aluko, Jelavic, Sagbo. Swansea CitySwansea City Aston VillaAston Villa 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 2-1 Swansea victory FANTASY PICK: Wilfried Bony KEY STAT: Aston Villa have won just one of their last 13 Barclays Premier League games played on Boxing Day (W1 D4 L8) and have failed to score in the last three. Aston Villa have won just one of the six Premier League meetings with Swansea (W1 D3 L2). - SWANSEA CITY Swansea trio Leon Britton (knee), Gylfi Sigurdsson (foot) and Jefferson Montero (hamstring) are all over niggles which forced them to miss last weekends 1-0 win at Hull and are available. Garry Monk rotated his squad at Hull by making seven changes ahead of the busy festive period and the Swansea manager will shuffle his pack again with league trips to Liverpool and QPR and an FA Cup tie at Tranmere coming up in the next week. Top scorer Wilfried Bony could be among those to return after making way for Bafetimbi Gomis at Hull. Provisional squad: Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Britton, Ki, Shelvey, Routledge, Montero, Sigurdsson, Bony, Tremmel, Richards, Amat, Bartley, Carroll, Dyer, Gomis, Emnes, Barrow, Tiendalli, Fulton. - ASTON VILLA Gabby Agbonlahor is available after he had his red card against Manchester United overturned and he is joined in the squad by Alan Hutton and Tom Cleverley after their bans. Kieran Richardson is still suspended, though, and Ashley Westwood (knee), Philippe Senderos (thigh), Nathan Baker (knee), Libor Kozak (leg) and Joe Cole (hamstring) are all out. Provisional squad: Guzan, Given, Hutton, Lowton, Okore, Clark, Vlaar, Herd, Cissokho, Delph, Sanchez, NZogbia, Cleverley, Grealish, Bacuna, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Benteke, Robinson. West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Manchester CityManchester City 3:00 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 2-0 City win FANTASY PICK: Yaya Toure KEY STAT: Manchester City have won the last 18 Premier League matches that Yaya Toure has scored in. West Brom have won just four home league games in 2014. Hull (3) are the only ever-present Premier League team to have won fewer in this period. - WEST BROMWICH ALBION Captain Chris Brunt is in line to return after he was unable to make his comeback from a hamstring injury against QPR last weekend but has trained this week. Victor Anichebe (groin) is still not training but fellow forward Georgios Samaras is back after going home to Greece due to a family matter. Graham Dorrans (calf) and Boaz Myhill (illness) missed training on Tuesday but are expected to be available. Provisional squad: Foster, Myhill, Pocognoli, Gamboa, Dawson, Lescott, McAuley, Yacob, Davidson, Wisdom, Baird, Varela, Gardner, Brunt, Morrison, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Blanco, Sessegnon, Ideye, Berahino, Samaras. - MANCHESTER CITY City are still without strikers Sergio Aguero (knee), Edin Dzeko (calf) and Stevan Jovetic (hamstring). Midfielders James Milner and David Silva could again play in the advanced central roles that proved successful against Crystal Palace last weekend or teenage forward Jose Angel Pozo might get another chance. Captain Vincent Kompany (hamstring/calf) is also still sidelined but fellow defender Gael Clichy has recovered from a minor knock. Provisional squad: Hart, Caballero, Zabaleta, Sagna, Demichelis, Mangala, Boyata, Clichy, Kolarov, Silva, Nasri, Navas, Toure, Fernando, Fernandinho, Lampard, Milner, Pozo, Ambrose, Sinclair. ArsenalArsenal Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers 5:30 PM GMT Game Details GameCast Lineups and Stats PREDICTION: A 3-0 win for Arsenal FANTASY PICK: Alexis Sanchez KEY STAT: Queens Park Rangers have failed to score in five of their six Premier League visits to Arsenal, the exception being a 3-1 win in December 1994, famous for John Jensen scoring his only goal in an Arsenal shirt. Harry Redknapp has only lost five of the last 18 Premier League games as an opposition coach against Arsenal (W3 D10 L5). - ARSENAL Arsenal will welcome back playmaker Tomas Rosicky and goalkeeper David Ospina after they recovered from thigh problems. Laurent Koscielny (calf) and Aaron Ramsey (hamstring) will miss out against Harry Redknapps side, but could return in the upcoming games against West Ham or Southampton. Mikel Arteta (calf), Mesut Ozil (knee), Abou Diaby (calf), Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Serge Gnabry (knee) are sidelined. Provisional squad: Szczesny, Ospina, Gibbs, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Monreal, Bellerin, Flamini, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud, Martinez, Podolski, Sanogo, Campbell, Coquelin, Walcott, Rosicky, OConnor, Maitland-Niles, Ajayi, Akpom. - QUEENS PARK RANGERS QPR left-back Yun Suk-Young has been ruled out for a number of weeks with an ankle problem so misses the clubs entire Christmas schedule. Manager Harry Redknapp has revealed he has a number of knocks -- too many to list -- that will be assessed before the game. Long-term injury casualties Sandro and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) are definitely out.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 00:14:06 +0000
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