Birmingham v Blackburn
Tomorrow 3pm, Sky Sports 1 interactive
Alex McLeish is hoping James McFadden will regain his zip after struggling
with the after-effects of a knee operation this week, while Franck Queudrue
will probably have to deputise for Liam Ridgewell in defence. Blackburn may
have Benni McCarthy back after he missed the past two matches with a
hamstring injury.
Birmingham City (probable; 4-4-2): Maik Taylor – S Kelly, R Jaidi, F
Queudrue, D Murphy – S Larsson, F Muamba, D Johnson, O Kapo - J McFadden, M
Forssell. Injuries and suspensions: L Ridgewell (ankle).
Blackburn Rovers (possible; 4-4-2): B Friedel – S Reid, C Samba, R
Nelsen, S Warnock – D Bentley, B Emerton, J Vogel, M G Pedersen – R Santa
Cruz, J Roberts. Injuries and suspensions: B McCarthy (hamstring).
Bill Edgar says Only Chelsea have beaten Birmingham at St Andrew’s in
their 11 home league matches since Alex McLeish became manager in November.
Referee: H Webb Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 10-11, Away 11-4, Draw
12-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 30% Away win 45% Draw 25%
Chelsea v Bolton
Tomorrow 3pm, Sky Sports 2
Bolton have a decent record at Stamford Bridge, with a pair of 2-2 draws in
their past three visits, but should not cause too many problems tomorrow
with safety all but assured. Chelsea’s main difficulty may be concentrating
on the matter in hand rather than events in Wigan.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech – P Ferreira, Alex, J Terry, A Cole – M
Ballack, J O Mikel, F Lampard – J Cole, D Drogba, F Malouda. Injuries
and suspensions: R Carvalho (back), C Cudicini (hamstring).
Bolton Wanderers (4-5-1): A Al Habsi – G Steinsson, A O’Brien, G
Cahill, J Samuel – E-H Diouf, G McCann, K Nolan, D Guthrie, M Taylor – K
Davies. Injuries and suspensions: J Jaaskelainen (back), R Gardner
(rib), N Hunt (shoulder).
Bill Edgar says Forty per cent of Frank Lampard’s league goals this
season came in the space of 44 minutes at home to Derby County (four out of
ten).
Referee: C Foy Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 1-8, Away 12-1, Draw 11-2 Fink
Tank prediction: Home win 75% Away win 8% Draw 17%
Derby v Reading
Tomorrow 3pm
Reading need to better Fulham’s result against Portsmouth to stand a chance of
avoiding the drop. Without a goal in their past six matches, the omens are
not good. Derby, though officially the worst team in Premier League history,
will want to sign off with a bang. Victory would double their win total for
the campaign.
Derby County (probable; 4-4-2): R Carroll – A Todd, M Addison, D Moore,
J McEveley – T Mears, R Savage, H Ghaly, E Lewis – R Earnshaw, K Miller. Injuries
and suspensions: D Jones (calf), D Leacock (hamstring), A Stubbs (knee),
G Barnes (knee), D Mills (knee), C Davis (knee).
Reading (probable; 4-4-2): M Hahnemann – L Rosenior, M Duberry, I
Ingimarsson, N Shorey – K Doyle, J Harper, M Matejovsky, S Hunt – D Kitson,
L Lita. Injuries and suspensions: G Little (calf), I Sonko (club
suspension), E Faé (club suspension).
Bill Edgar says Bolton, away to Chelsea, need to avoid an 11-goal swing
to Reading, away to Derby. Results this season: Chelsea 6 Manchester City 0;
Derby 0 Aston Villa 6; Derby 0 West Ham 5.
Referee: M Riley Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 9-2, Away 4-9, Draw 3-1 Fink Tank
prediction: Home win 27% Away win 49% Draw 24%
Everton v Newcastle
Tomorrow 3pm
Everton need a point or Aston Villa to fail to win away to West Ham United for
a Uefa Cup berth. Mikel Arteta is out after surgery on a stomach problem.
Newcastle United will be without Joey Barton, the midfield player, and Mark
Viduka, the striker, so Charles N’Zogbia, Damien Duff and Alan Smith should
come in.
Everton (probable; 4-4-2): T Howard – A Hibbert, J Yobo, P Jagielka, J
Lescott – L Osman, P Neville, L Carsley, S Pienaar – A Johnson, Yakubu
Ayegbeni. Injuries and suspensions: M Arteta (stomach), T Cahill
(ankle), I Turner (hip/thigh), A van der Meyde (thigh), J Vaughan (knee).
Newcastle United (possible; 4-3-3): S Harper – H Beye, S Taylor, A
Faye, J Enrique – Gérémi, N Butt, C N’Zogbia – A Smith, M Owen, D Duff. Injuries
and suspensions: S Given (groin), T Krul (shoulder), J Milner (foot), W
Ngo Baheng (knee), M Viduka (Achilles).
Bill Edgar says Everton have won 40 points in the 18 matches with Tim
Cahill in the team (a rate of 84 points per season) and 22 in the 19 without
him (44 per season).
Referee: P Walton Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 8-11, Away 10-3, Draw
11-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 57% Away win 19% Draw 25%
Middlesbrough v Manchester City
Tomorrow 3pm
This match is widely believed to be Sven-Göran Eriksson’s final game as City
manager, but the club are guaranteed to finish no lower than ninth and could
reach seventh. Victory could net Middlesbrough £5.76 million for finishing
thirteenth, while defeat could put them down to sixteenth and £3.6 million.
Middlesbrough (possible; 4-4-2): M Schwarzer – L Young, D Wheater, C
Riggott, E Pogatetz – G Boateng, F Rochemback, J Arca, S Downing – Tuncay
Sanli, Afonso Alves. Injuries and suspensions: G O’Neil (knee), Mido
(groin), R Huth (ankle/foot).
Manchester City (possible; 4-2-3-1): A Isaksson – Sun Jihai, V Corluka,
R Dunne, M Ball – S Ireland, M Johnson – D Vassell, Elano, M Petrov –
Benjani Mwaruwari. Injuries and suspensions: N Onuoha (shoulder), M
Richards (knee).
Bill Edgar says The fastest Premier League goal this season is by
Geovanni, of City, in 28sec v Wigan. The fastest by a substitute is by
Gelson Fernandes, of City, in 57sec v Newcastle.
Referee: P Dowd Odds: Ladbrokes: Home evens, Away 11-5, Draw
11-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 48% Away win 25% Draw 27%
Portsmouth v Fulham
Tomorrow 3pm, Setanta Sports 1
Fulham will be at full strength as they go for the win that will keep them up.
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, has vowed to field his strongest
team, despite the risk of injuries before the FA Cup Final a week today.
Kanu and Milan Baros are expected to play one half each alongside the
cup-tied Jermain Defoe.
Portsmouth (possible; 4-4-2): J Ashdown – G Johnson, S Distin, S
Campbell, H Hreidarsson – P Bouba Diop, L Diarra, S Muntari, N Kranjcar – M
Baros, J Defoe. Injuries and suspensions: D James (calf), L Primus
(knee).
Fulham (probable; 4-4-2): K Keller – P Stalteri, A Hughes, B Hangeland,
P Konchesky – S Davies, J Bullard, D Murphy, C Dempsey – D Kamara, B
McBride. Injuries and suspensions: None.
Bill Edgar says Fulham need a win to be all but assured of safety, but
have won only four of their past 56 away league matches. Portsmouth have
lost four of their past 22 at home in the league.
Referee: M Clattenburg Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 15-8, Away 11-0,
Draw 12-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 52% Away win 25% Draw 23%
Sunderland v Arsenal
Tomorrow 3pm
Would the last player to leave the Stadium of Light please turn the, er, light
out. With Roy Keane threatening sweeping changes this summer and Arsenal
braced for more defections, tomorrow’s finale, in front of a sell-out crowd,
may bring a last stand for the old guard at both clubs.
Sunderland (possible; 4-4-2): C Gordon – D Whitehead, N Nosworthy, J
Evans, D Collins – C Edwards, D Yorke, A Reid, R Wallace – M Chopra, K
Jones. Injuries and suspensions: P Bardsley (knee), D Connolly (hip),
D Ward (back), D Etuhu (knee).
Arsenal (possible; 4-4-2): L Fabianski – K Touré, W Gallas, A Song, G
Clichy – E Eboué, Gilberto Silva, Denilson, T Walcott – E Adebayor, N
Bendtner. Injuries and suspensions: R van Persie (thigh), V Diaby (thigh), B
Sagna (ankle), E da Silva (leg/ankle), T Rosicky (hamstring), F Fàbregas
(groin), A Hleb (final match of three).
Bill Edgar says A win would leave Arsenal with the best record for a
third-placed team in top-flight history. Chelsea or Manchester United will
have the best runners-up record.
Referee: K Stroud Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 10-3, Away 8-11, Draw
11-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 17% Away win 61% Draw 22%
Tottenham v Liverpool
Tomorrow 3pm
Tottenham can attain a top-half finish and Fernando Torres, of Liverpool,
needs one goal to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record for the most goals
scored by an overseas signing in a first season in the Premier League. They
are tied on 23.
Tottenham Hotspur (possible; 4-4-2): R Cerny – A Hutton, M Dawson, J
Woodgate, Gilberto – A Lennon, D Zakora, J Jenas, S Malbranque – D Berbatov,
R Keane. Injuries and suspensions: L King (knee), G Bale (foot), B
Assou-Ekotto (knee), P Robinson (ankle).
Liverpool (possible; 4-2-3-1): J M Reina – S Finnan, J Carragher, S
Hyypia, E Insúa – X Alonso, J Mascherano – D Kuyt, S Gerrard, Y Benayoun – F
Torres. Injuries and suspensions: H Kewell (groin).
Bill Edgar saysIf Liverpool avoid defeat, they will have four losses
for the season, the fewest for the Anfield club since they won the league
title in 1988.
Referee: U Rennie Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 11-8, Away 8-5, Draw
11-5 Fink Tank prediction: Home win 33% Away win 42% Draw 25%
West Ham v Aston Villa
Tomorrow 3pm
Nigel Reo-Coker can expect a hostile reception when he returns to Upton Park
after leaving in controversial circumstances last summer. “He will take it
on the chin, he is that sort of character,” Alan Curbishley, the West Ham
manager, said.
West Ham United (possible; 4-4-2): R Green – J Paintsil, J Tomkins, L
Neill, G McCartney – M Noble, S Parker, H Mullins, L Boa Morte – D Ashton, R
Zamora. Injuries and suspensions: F Ljungberg (rib), D Gabbidon
(groin), M Etherington (groin), L Bowyer (groin), C Bellamy (groin), C
Davenport (neck), N Quashie (foot), J Collins (knee), K Dyer (leg).
Aston Villa (possible; 4-4-2): S Carson – O Mellberg, M Laursen, Z
Knight, W Bouma – A Young, S Petrov, N Reo-Coker, G Barry – J Carew, G
Agbonlahor. Injuries and suspensions: C Gardner (thigh), C Davies
(Achilles).
Bill Edgar says Villa will finish in the top eight for the ninth time
in 13 seasons. They have recorded two 4-4 draws in London this season,
against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Referee: M Dean Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 7-4, Away 6-5, Draw 9-4
Fink Tank prediction: Home win 35% Away win 39% Draw 26%
Wigan v Manchester United
Tomorrow 3pm, Sky Sports 1
The best Wayne Rooney can hope for, after missing United’s past two matches
with a hip injury, is a place on the bench. Nemanja Vidic returns after a
facial injury. For Wigan, Kevin Kilbane has a back injury, so Ryan Taylor
could play at left back.
Wigan Athletic (possible; 4-4-2): C Kirkland – E Boyce, T Bramble, P
Scharner, R Taylor – L A Valencia, M Brown, W Palacios, J Koumas – E Heskey,
M Bent. Injuries and suspensions: M Melchiot (groin), E Edman (knee),
K Kilbane (back).
Manchester United (possible; 4-3-3): E van der Sar – W Brown, R
Ferdinand, N Vidic, P Evra – O Hargreaves, M Carrick, P Scholes – C Ronaldo,
C Tévez, Park Ji Sung. Injuries and suspensions: L Saha
(hamstring), Nani (first match of three).
Bill Edgar says If United become champions, it would be the twentieth
retention of the league title since 1900; the FA Cup has been retained four
times in that period.
Referee: S Bennett Odds: Ladbrokes: Home 8-1, Away 1-5, Draw 9-2 Fink
Tank prediction: Home win 15% Away win 62% Draw 23%
