EPL Preview - Week 25

Arsenal (away vs. Middlesbrough)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Lehmann - Clichy, Toure, Hoyte, Senderos - Flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky, Gilberto Silva – Adebayor, Henry
Subs: Almunia, Djourou, Denilson, Aliadiere, Walcott, Traore.
Injured: Diaby, Gallas, Baptista, Van Persie, Hleb, Ljungberg, Eboue.
Suspended: None

Team News: Wenger has called up Brazilian sensation Denilson into the Arsenal squad after his performance against Spurs in the midweek game. He will sit alongside Djourou who has returned from injury. Adebayor passed a late fitness test on his knee on Friday and will start but Eboue is still sidelined with an ankle injury so Hoyte will remain at right-back against Boro’. Senderos is the main doubt for the gunners after picking up a head injury against Spurs.
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Aston Villa (home vs. West Ham)
Starting XI: (4-3-3) Sorensen – Bouma, Mellberg, Cahill, Bardsley - Barry, McCann, Petrov - Agbonlahor, Carew, Young.
Subs: Taylor, Hughes, Ridgewell, Samuel, S. Davis, Angel, Berger.
Injured: Delaney, Moore, Laursen, Osbourne, Samuel, Sutton.
Suspended: None

Team News: New signings Carew and Young are set to make their home debuts for Villa against West Ham this weekend. Defender Laursen has recovered from injury and will take up a spot on the bench with new signing Maloney. Maloney is highly revered in Scotland but has failed to shine on the big stage so far. Absentees include Osbourne and Samuel who are sidelined through injury.
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Blackburn (home vs. Sheffield United)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Friedel - Nelson, Khizanashvili, Henchoz, Warnock – Emerton, Bentley, Tugay, Pedersen – Derbyshire, McCarthy.
Subs: Enkelmann, Mokoena, Samba, Nonda, Gallagher, Jeffers, Peter, Todd, Berner, Dunn.
Injured: Savage, Ooijer, Reid.
Suspended: None

Team News: Khizanashvili returns to the Blackburn side after missing the 3-0 defeat by Chelsea in midweek, while Derbyshire is expected to continue alongside McCarthy in attack. New signing Dunn has been cleared to play and should start on the bench but there are doubts over the fitness of Emerton (foot) and Todd (flu) so Gallagher could be drafted into midfield if Emerton doesn’t pass for fit.

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Bolton (away vs. Watford)
Starting XI: (4-3-3) Jaaskelainen - Hunt, Ben Haim, Meite, Gardner– Campo, Nolan, Speed - Stelios, Diouf, Pedersen
Subs: Walker, Tal, Fojut, Abdoulaye Faye, Teymourian, Thompson, Vaz Te, Michalik, Augustyn.
Injured: Q. Fortune, Anelka, Davies, O’Brien.
Suspended: None.

Team News: Allardyce has been boosted by the return of Diouf who has completed his two-match suspension. Bolton are also boosted by the arrival of Thompson from Portsmouth and he is in contention for a start as Big Sam looks for a way to revive Bolton’s flagging fortunes. Bolton are missing their two principal strikers as Davies is sidelined with a chipped bone in his ankle for three weeks and Anelka will miss this game due an aggravated calf injury. Faye is also doubt.
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Charlton (home vs. Chelsea)
Starting XI: (4-5-1) Carson – Sankofa, El Kakouri, Hreidarsson, Thatcher - Holland, Hughes, Rommedahl, A Faye, Thomas - M. Bent
Subs: Myhre, Randolph, Kishishev, Zheng, Diawara, Fortune, Kishishev, Ambrose, Hasselbaink, Lisbie.
Injured: Gibbs, D. Bent, Young, Reid, Song, Bougherra.
Suspended: None

Team News: Charlton are on somewhat of a run, if you can call it that, having won and drawn their last two games. These set of results have lead to some consistency in the squad selection and Pardew is likely to stick with the side that drew with Bolton midweek. New signings Song and Bougherra are unavailable with injury. Charlton always seem to raise their game against Chelsea and it will be no walk in the park for the Blues at the Valley with confidence buoyed by recent results.
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Chelsea (away vs. Charlton)
Starting XI: (4-1-3-2) Cech - Diarra, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge – Makelele – Lampard, Essien, Ballack - Shevchenko, Drogba.
Subs: Hilario, Ferreira, Robben, Mikel, Wright-Phillips, Kalou, Sahar.
Injured: J. Cole, A. Cole, Boulahrouz.
Suspended: None

Team News: Mourinho is boosted by the return of club captain Terry for the trip to Charlton. The England skipper will start alongside Carvalho with Bridge coming in for the injured Ashley Cole (who should have really won a Pulitzer prize for his autobiography – what a guy…er), whilst Diarra is set to continue at right-back.
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Everton (away vs. Liverpool)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Howard – Stubbs, Lescott, Yobo, P. Neville – Van der Meyde, Carsley, Arteta, Osman, Cahill - Johnson.
Subs: Wright, Hibbert, Anichebe, Weir, Vaughan, Naysmith, Pistone, Beattie, Fernandes, Valente.
Injured: McFadden
Suspended: None

Team News: Everton are waiting on a late fitness test for striker Johnson before determining the starting line-up in the 205^th Merseyside derby.
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Fulham (home vs. Newcastle)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Niemi - Queudrue, Knight, Christanval, Rosenior – Davies, Volz, M. Brown, Radzinski – McBride, Helguson
Subs: Lastuvka, Bocanegra, Diop, Routledge, Dempsey, C. Jensen, Montella.
Injured: Bullard, Elliott, Elrich, Pearce, Smertin.
Suspended: None

Team News: Christanval returns to the starting line-up after recovering from injury but Montella is struggling with an abdomen injury and will be forced to start on the bench with the brawn of Helguson and McBride preferred upfront.
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Liverpool (home vs. Everton)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Reina – Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Riise - Gerrard, Alonso, Gonzalez, Pennant – Kuyt, Crouch
Subs: Dudek, Hyypia, Fowler, Bellamy, Zenden, Arbeloa, Guthrie, Paletta.
Injured: Kewell, Sissoko, Garcia, Aurelio.
Suspended: None

Team News: Liverpool are the form side in the Premiership at the moment and Benitez will be hoping for continuation against Everton. This historically is always a grim game for discipline though, with a flurry of cards always a highlight of this match-up. Benitez will probably start with a more defensive line-up than the one he has played recently with Bellamy most likely to be one that misses out. Brazilian Aurelio is a new name on the injury list but Zenden is now back in training and should start on the bench.
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Man City (home vs. Reading)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Weaver - Richards, Dunne, Distin, Jordan – Ireland, Dabo, Barton, Trabelsi, - Corradi, Vassell
Subs: Isaksson, Ball, Beasley, Johnson, Hamann, Miller, Abdoun, Samaras.
Injured: Onouha, Sun Jihai, Sinclair, Dickov, D. Mills.
Suspended: None

Team News: Pearce could hand new signing Ball his debut against Reading but with such formidable opposition and with little match practice under his belt the City manager should stick with the tried and tested.
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Man Utd (away vs. Tottenham)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Van der Sar - R. Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, G. Neville - Giggs, Carrick, Ronaldo, Scholes - Larsson, Rooney.
Subs: Kuszczak, W. Brown, Heinze, Richardson, Silvestre, Fletcher, O’Shea, Park, Solskjaer.
Injured: None
Suspended: None

Team News: Consistency is the name of the game for United.
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Middlesbrough (home vs. Arsenal)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Jones – Xavier, Taylor, Pogatetz, Woodgate – Downing, Arca, Boateng, Cattermole – Yakubu, Viduka.
Subs: Schwarzer, Turnbull, Davies, Christie, Parnaby, Mendieta, Johnson, J. Euell.
Injured: Bates, Riggott, Parlour, McMahon, Rochemback, Huth, Lee.
Suspended: None

Team News: Schwarzer is a big doubt for the Arsenal clash after missing his sides game against Portsmouth in midweek with a back injury. Fellow Aussie Jones should stand in but the keeper has bad memories of Arsenal – remember Highbury last season anyone?
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Newcastle (away vs. Fulham)
Starting XI: (4-4-1-1) Given – Huntington, Onyewu, Bramble, Carr – Duff, Parker, Butt, Milner – Dyer - Martins
Subs: Srnicek, Carroll, Taylor, Edgar, Solano, Pattison, O’Brien, Luque, Sibierski.
Injured: Owen, Krul, Moore, Ameobi, Harper, Bernard, Babayaro, N’Zogbia, Ramage, Emre.
Suspended: None

Team News: New signing Onyewu is expected to go straight into the Newcastle starting line-up. The American will join up with a depleted Newcastle squad but Peruvian Solano will also boost the ranks after returning from suspension. Butt is suffering from a knee injury but is expected to pass fit for the match.
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Porstmouth (away vs. Wigan)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) James – Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Pamarot, - Taylor, Mendes, O’Neill, Lauren – Benjani, Kanu
Subs: Ashdown, Douala, Hughes, O’Brien, Krancjar, LuaLua, Koroman, A. Cole, Davis.
Injured: Traore, Stefanovic.
Suspended: None

Team News: Traore will miss the Wigan game with an ankle injury so Pamarot should start on the right.
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Reading (away vs. Man City)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Hahnemann – Murty, Duberry, Ingmarrson, Shorey – Little, Harper, Sidwell, Hunt – Lita, Long.
Subs: Federici, Convey, De la Cruz, Bikey, Sodje, Oster, Halford, Pearce, Kitson.
Injured: Mate, Halls, Sonko, Gunnarsson.
Suspended: None

Team News: Reading defender Sonko has been ruled out for the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage to his knee so new signing Duberry will come in to replace him, Gunnarsson is also injured. Long has passed a fitness test and will start alongside Lita.
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Sheffield Utd (away vs. Blackburn)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Kenny - Geary, Lucketti, Jagielka, Armstrong – S. Quinn, Montgomery, Tonge, Kazim-Richards – Hulse, Stead.
Subs: Bennett, Bromby, Sommeil, Law, Kozluk, A. Quinn, Seck, Fathi, Morgan, Webber, Nade.
Injured: Li Tie, Kilgallon, Leigertwood, Shelton.
Suspended: Gillespie (2 of 3)

Team News: Sheffield United captain Morgan has returned from a four-match ban but Warnock may stick with Lucketti in defence after a recent good run of results. New signings Kilgallon and Shelton are unavailable with injury and Gillespie is still suspended.
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Tottenham (home vs. Man Utd)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Robinson – Chimbonda, Dawson, Rocha, Lee – Huddleston, Jenas Malbranque, Lennon – Berbatov, Keane.
Subs: Cerny, Alnwick, Murphy, Assou-Ekotto, Ghaly, Defoe, Gardner, Zokora, Stalteri.
Injured: King, Tainio.
Suspended: Mido (1 of 1)

Team News: Jenas is a doubt with an ankle knock but the signs are positive for his return to the Tottenham side. Rocha and Lee should start along with Lennon who missed out on Wednesday night due to illness. Bulgarian international Berbatov also returns to partner Keane with Mido suspended for one game.
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Watford (home vs. Bolton)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Foster –Marriapa, Shittu, DeMerit, Stewart – Smith, Mahon, Francis, Bouazza – Kabba, Henderson.
Subs: Lee, McNamee, Williamson, Bangura, Priskin, Hoskins, Powell, Rinaldi, Cavalli, Williams, Mackay.
Injured: King, Chambers, Carlisle
Suspended: None

Team News: With so many new signings it is difficult to judge how Boothroyd will send out his team this week. Shittu and Mahon are in contention to return to the side after recovering from injury, while any number of players could make their debuts for the hornets today ranging from Kabba to Hoskins. New Brazilian signing Rinaldi is just one vowel short of greatness.
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West Ham (away vs. Aston Villa)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Carroll – McCartney, Davenport, Upson, Dailly – Quashie, Reo-Coker, Benayoun, Boa Morte – Cole, Harewood
Subs: Green, Pantsil, Mullins, Kepa, Konchesky, Sheringham, Newton.
Injured: Ashton, Collins, Bowyer, Gabbidon, Neill, Tevez, Ferdinand.
Suspended: None

Team News: The Biscuit Baron has been out splashing his cash in recent weeks, I’d say he’s been splashing it up the wall after seeing how much he was ripped off for Upson. Upson, who should make his debut today, was woeful against Southend United (bottom Championship side) last week and I can’t see how his price tag can be justified.
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Wigan (home vs. Portsmouth)
Starting XI: (4-4-2) Kirkland – Hall, Unsworth, Baines, Boyce – Kilbane, Landzaat, Skoko, Teale, McCulloch – Aghahowa, Folan.
Subs: Filan, Taylor, Cotterill, Johansson, Granqvisst, Haestad, Valencia
Injured: Camara, Heskey, Scharner, De Zeeuw, McMillan.
Suspended: None

Team News: Nigerian Aghahowa (another name for me to learn, I’ve only just got the hand of Boulahrouz…) should start alongside fellow new boy Folan (a crap Forlan…), as Heskey is sidelined with an injury. Aghahowa is a very fast player and anyone who has played Championship Manager 2001 will accredit that, but this is real life and Wigan are up against it. Baines is doubtful with a calf injury so the crisis may thicken come kick-off time.

Note: Those denoted in red indicates doubts