All games 8pm unless stated

Wednesday

Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland

Mark Hughes hopes Steven Reid will be fit after the Republic of Ireland midfielder missed the 2-1 win at Derby yesterday with a calf problem. The Blackburn manager is wary of rushing Reid back too soon after his injury-plagued spell at Ewood Park.

Christopher Samba missed yesterday's game as his wife is due to give birth to their first child and the Congolese defender could also return.

Sunderland midfielder Ross Wallace is a doubt as he battles against a hamstring injury. The 22-year-old missed Saturday’s 3-1 win over Bolton after picking up the problem in training the previous day. Nyron Nosworthy (hamstring) and Russell Anderson (ankle) are improving rapidly, but Carlos Edwards (broken leg) will be out for some time yet.

Blackburn Rovers (from): Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Khizanishvili, Bentley, Mokoena, Tugay, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Dunn, Reid, Savage, Berner, Olsson, Roberts, Derbyshire, Brown.

Sunderland (from): Gordon, Ward, McShane, Halford, Harte, Higginbotham, Collins, Yorke, Etuhu, Leadbitter, Whitehead, Richardson, O’Donovan, Jones, Chopra, Waghorn, Murphy, Stokes, Cole.

Bolton Wanderers v Derby County

Nicky Hunt, the Bolton full back, remains doubtful with the foot injury that forced him to miss the defeat by Sunderland at the weekend. Manager Gary Megson might be tempted to make changes as his side search for their fourth successive home victory.

Paul Jewell, the Derby County manager, faces a striker dilemma ahead of the trip to the Reebok Stadium after selling Steven Howard to Leicester City.

Robert Earnshaw (calf) is rated 50-50 after missing Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn, meaning Jewell may only be able to choose between Kenny Miller, Craig Fagan and Jon Macken.

Defenders Dean Leacock and Michael Johnson both limped out of the weekend game and are doubtful. Matthew Oakley and Claude Davis returned from the sidelines to play 90 minutes on Sunday but Stephen Bywater and Stephen Pearson (both shoulder), Andy Griffin and Rob Earnshaw (both calf), Andy Todd (back) and David Jones (groin) remain out of contention.

Bolton Wanderers (from): Jaaskelainen, Hunt, J O’Brien, Meite, A O’Brien, Gardner, Nolan, Campo, Guthrie, Davies, Anelka, Diouf, McCann, Samuel, Al Habsi, Giannakopoulos, Cid, Michalik, Wilhelmsson, Braaten, Alonso.

Derby County (from): Price, Edworthy, McEveley, Leacock, Davis, Johnson, Barnes, Mears, Moore, Feilhaber, Holmes, Teale, Oakley, Lewis, Miller, Fagan, Macken, Earnshaw, Hinchliffe.

Liverpool v Wigan Athletic

Liverpool will have Peter Crouch available again, the England striker having served a three-match ban for his sending-off at Chelsea, but veteran defender Sami Hyypia is still out, while Daniel Agger, another central defender, is also unlikely to be fit.

That means Alvaro Arbeloa, a full back, is expected to be used as a stop-gap centre half again alongside Jamie Carragher, with teenager Jack Hobbs unlikely to be risked because of his lack of experience.

Emile Heskey is expected to be bit to face former club Liverpool as Wigan attempt to win at Anfield for the first time. Heskey has been troubled by an ankle injury but the England striker returned to training yesterday and should be fit, along with Jason Koumas, who is now back from a groin problem.

Steve Bruce, the Wigan manager, has never lost against Rafael Benitez in Premier League combat but Wigan have an appalling record of 20 defeats in 20 games against the Premier League's big four.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hobbs, Riise, Aurelio, Kewell, Babel, Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Benayoun, Crouch, Kuyt, Voronin, Torres, Itandje.

Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Taylor, Boyce, Bramble, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Bent, Heskey, Aghahowa, Granqvist, Olembe, Koumas, Skoko, Cotterill, Hall, Sibierski, Pollitt.

Newcastle United v Manchester City, 7.45pm

Alan Smith, the Newcastle United striker, is a major doubt as he recovers from concussion, having spent Saturday night in hospital after a clash of heads with team-mate Abdoulaye Faye at Chelsea.

Faye hurt his arm during the same match, although a scan has shown no lasting damage, while Michael Owen came through his return from a thigh injury unscathed. Midfielder Joey Barton will not play against his former club after being remanded in custody on charges of common assault and affray.

Elano, the Manchester City midfielder, may find himself left on the bench for the trip to St James' Park. The Brazilian's form has dipped after an outstanding first few months in England and manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could be tempted to recall Geovanni in his place.

Michael Johnson (abdominal strain) is still sidelined but Emile Mpenza could be back from a muscle problem as City look to record their first away win since the opening day of the season.

Newcastle United (from): Given, Harper, Carr, Beye, N’Zogbia, Enrique, Rozehnal, Cacapa, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Geremi, Butt, Milner, Emre, Duff, Smith, Martins, Viduka, Owen.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Isaksson, Onuoha, Corluka, Sun, Dunne, Richards, Garrido, Ball, Ireland, Hamann, Elano, Fernandes, Geovanni, Petrov, Mpenza, Vassell, Bianchi, Samaras.