Some vital statistics ahead of the weekend's Barclays Premier League matches.

Arsenal (3) v Sunderland (13)

Arsenal first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was undergoing a fitness test on his injured finger today to see whether he could take over from under-fire Lukasz Fabianski. William Gallas is out with a calf strain. Abou Diaby misses out with a knee injury and Alex Song looks set to return after also being sidelined with a knee problem.

Sunderland could potentially be without six midfielders. Jordan Henderson (ankle), Andy Reid (hamstring), Lee Cattermole and David Meyler (both suspended) are all certain to miss the clash, with Steed Malbranque (chest) and Kieran Richardson (calf) doubtful. Defenders Anton Ferdinand (ankle) and John Mensah (hamstring) are also touch and go but striker Fraizer Campbell (hamstring) is fit.

Last season: Arsenal 0 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Arsenal 1

Last five league matches: Arsenal W D L L W; Sunderland L L D D D

Top scorers (all competitions): Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) 14; Darren Bent (Sunderland) 16

Match odds: H 1-5 A 14-1 D 5-1

Referee: Simon Bennett (Staffordshire)

Everton (9) v Man Utd (2)

Everton have suffered a fresh injury blow with the loss of key midfielder Tim Cahill for up to three weeks because of a calf injury. Everton already have midfielder Marouane Fellaini out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. John Heitinga is available and Steven Pienaar returns after suspension. Tony Hibbert (groin), Victor Anichebe (back) and loan signing Philippe Senderos (back) are out.

Nemanja Vidic will return to the Manchester United squad. Vidic has yet to play in 2010 after suffering a nerve problem in a leg. Anderson is also in the squad following a reserve team appearance last night, but Ryan Giggs is out with a broken arm, while Rio Ferdinand and Nani are both suspended.

Last season: Man Utd 1 Everton 0, Everton 1 Man Utd 1

Last five league matches: Everton W W W L W; Man Utd W W W W D

Top scorers (all competitions): Louis Saha (Everton) 15; Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 25

Match odds: H 19-5 A 3-4 D 5-2

Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

Portsmouth (20) v Stoke (11)

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is set to welcome back Steve Finnan and Ricardo Rocha. Finnan missed the FA Cup derby with Southampton due to a tight groin, while Rocha returns from a ban. New signing Dusko Tosic may feature on the bench. Anthony Vanden Borre (hamstring), Kevin-Prince Boateng (ankle), Aaron Mokoena (knee ligaments) and Tal Ben-Haim, who had a groin operation last week, are all out. Hermann Hreidarsson is doubtful with an Achilles problem.

Stoke full-back Danny Higginbotham is doubtful after suffering a back spasm during the draw with Manchester City in midweek and did not appear for the second half. Abdoulaye Faye is sidelined through suspension after being sent off in that match while Matthew Etherington remains absent with a knee injury.

Last season: Stoke 2 Portsmouth 2, Portsmouth 2 Stoke 1

Last five league matches: Portsmouth D L L L D; Stoke D D W D D

Top scorers (all competitions): Aruna Dindane (Portsmouth) 7; Ricardo Fuller & Dave Kitson (Stoke) 6

Match odds: H 13-10 A 21-10 D 9-4

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

West Ham (15) v Hull (17)

West Ham will be without striker Benni McCarthy as he has been out with a knee problem since the defeat at Burnley. Herita Ilunga (thigh) will remain sidelined for at least three more weeks while Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (both hamstring) are not ready to return. Guillermo Franco is back from a muscle complaint which has kept him out for the last two months.

Hull manager Phil Brown may call on midfielder Jimmy Bullard for only the sixth time since his £5million move from Fulham. The 31-year-old has returned to training after his latest knee injury and could be on the bench. Brown will definitely be without another midfielder in Geovanni, who is still out with a knee problem, but George Boateng is available after his red card against Blackburn was rescinded.

Last season: West Ham 2 Hull 0, Hull 1 West Ham 0

Last five league matches: West Ham D D D L W; Hull L D D W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Carlton Cole (West Ham) 8; Stephen Hunt (Hull) 6

Match odds: H 3-4 A 19-5 D 5-2

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Wolves (16) v Chelsea (1)

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy took the unusual step of naming an unchanged side in advance of the Chelsea game, keeping faith with the players who earned Wolves a 1-0 win against Tottenham. On-loan Blues utility man Michael Mancienne is ineligible to face his parent club. Holding midfielder Segundo Castillo and striker Stefan Maierhofer will come into the equation for a place on the bench.

Chelsea have been rocked by the loss of two players as England midfielder Frank Lampard has a virus and Brazilian defender Alex is out with a knee injury. Ashley Cole (ankle), Michael Essien (knee), Jose Bosingwa (knee), Juliano Belletti (knee) and Deco (knee) are all sidelined.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Wolves L D D L W; Chelsea W W D W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Kevin Doyle (Wolves) 6; Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 23

Match odds: H 19-2 A 3-10 D 4-1

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Sunday, February 21

Aston Villa (7) v Burnley (19)

Aston Villa hope to have strikers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey available. Agbonlahor missed the FA Cup tie at Crystal Palace with a leg injury and Heskey was forced off in that game with a groin problem. Captain Stiliyan Petrov will retain his starting role as he continues to battle against nagging ankle and Achilles problems. Full-back Stephen Warnock should also continue after making his comeback from a shin injury against Palace.

Burnley defender Leon Cort is expected to be fit after being forced off with a groin injury in the Clarets' 3-0 defeat at Fulham. Veteran Graham Alexander, missing for the last three weeks with a calf problem, is rated 50-50 to return. Stephen Jordan (hamstring) and Chris McCann (knee) could come back into contention but Steven Caldwell (groin) is still sidelined.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Aston Villa D D W D D; Burnley L L L W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) 12; Steven Fletcher (Burnley) 10

Match odds: H 2-5 A 7-1 D 7-2

Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)

Blackburn (12) v Bolton (18)

Centre-back Chris Samba is Blackburn's only absentee as he completes a two-match suspension. Midfielder David Dunn, who has been out for the last four weeks with a calf injury, is fit again. Fellow midfielder Vince Grella is closing on a return after being sidelined since November with a thigh problem. Yildiray Basturk is unlikely to figure as he is still short of match fitness following his transfer window move from Stuttgart.

Bolton striker Ivan Klasnic could come into contention against Blackburn. Klasnic, who has scored six goals this season after arriving on loan from Nantes, is on the mend after a calf injury. Manager Owen Coyle may be tempted to name an unchanged side following the draw against Wigan in midweek.

Last season: Blackburn 2 Bolton 2, Bolton 0 Blackburn 0

Last five league matches: Blackburn W W D L W; Bolton W L D L D

Top scorers (all competitions): David Dunn & Nikola Kalinic (Blackburn) 6; Ivan Klasnic (Bolton) 10

Match odds: H 19-20 A 3-1 D 23-10

Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)

Fulham (10) v Birmingham (8)

Fulham defender Nicky Shorey, on loan from Aston Villa, returns after being ineligible for the 2-1 Europa League victory over Shakhtar Donetsk and will replace Stephen Kelly at left-back. Paul Konchesky could figure on the bench after recovering from a foot injury, but long-term casualties Kagisho Dikgacoi (ankle), Andrew Johnson, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (all knee) are out.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has no fresh injury worries and is to keep faith with the 18 players on duty in last Saturday's FA Cup fifth round win over Derby at Pride Park. The former Scotland boss has more midfield options after the arrival of Craig Gardner and Michel during the January transfer window. He left out James McFadden and Sebastian Larsson for the previous league game at West Ham and brought in Gardner and Keith Fahey as the wide players.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Fulham L L W D W; Birmingham D L D W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Bobby Zamora (Fulham) 13; Lee Bowyer (Birmingham) 6

Match odds: H 21-20 A 11-4 D 11-5

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

Man City (4) v Liverpool (5)

Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira will miss out as he starts a three-match suspension for his challenge on Stoke's Glenn Whelan. Martin Petrov is out with a knee injury with fears he could be sidelined for up to four weeks, while Carlos Tevez is still in Argentina dealing with a domestic matter. Craig Bellamy could come into contention after stepping up his fitness following a knee problem.

Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun faces a late fitness test. The Israel international has recovered from a broken rib which has sidelined him since January 13, but did not feature in last night's Europa League victory over Unirea Urziceni because of a back problem. Maxi Rodriguez returns to the squad having been ineligible for the European tie. Centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos serves the second game of a three-match ban while striker Fernando Torres and full-back Glen Johnson are still not fit after knee injuries.

Last season: Liverpool 1 Man City 1, Man City 2 Liverpool 3

Last five league matches: Man City L W L W D; Liverpool W D W W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Carlos Tevez (Man City) 19; Fernando Torres (Liverpool) 12

Match odds: H 6-4 A 9-5 D 23-10

Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)

Wigan (14) v Tottenham (6)

Wigan defender Titus Bramble is a major doubt as the centre-back sustained a hamstring injury in Wednesday's goalless draw at home to Bolton and is unlikely to be fit in time. Should that be the case Emmerson Boyce will probably replace Bramble in the starting line-up, although manager Roberto Martinez has the option of dropping midfielder Paul Scharner back into defence.

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has still not recovered from a groin injury. Ledley King (knee) will require a late check, as will Jermaine Jenas (groin) but Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker are available again after being cup-tied last week. Jonathan Woodgate (groin), Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Carlo Cudicini (wrist and pelvis) are out.

Last season: Wigan 1 Tottenham 0, Tottenham 0 Wigan 0

Last five league matches: Wigan L L D D D; Tottenham L W D D L

Top scorers (all competitions): Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) 7; Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 21

Match odds: H 14-5 A 23-10 D 1-1

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)