
Premier League Saturday Team News
We bring you team news for all the matches set to take place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea vs West Ham Chelsea are without goalkeeper Hilario for Saturday's game against West Ham and that could lead to rookie keeper Ross Turnbull facing Inter Milan in the Champions League. Hilario suffered an injury to an abductor muscle in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Stoke. He is also a doubt for the last 16 return leg against Jose Mourinho's Inter on Tuesday night. Turnbull faces the Hammers and young keeper Rhys Taylor will be on the substitute's bench. Full-back Jose Bosingwa (knee), midfielder Michael Essien (knee), left-back Ashley Cole (ankle) and defender Ricardo Carvalho (hamstring) are also out. West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola welcomes back Danny Gabbidon and Benni McCarthy. Centre-back Gabbidon returns from a hamstring problem while striker McCarthy, a January transfer window signing, has recovered his match fitness after a knee injury. Julien Faubert (hamstring) and Manuel Da Costa (suspended) are the latest players to be ruled out, while Mark Noble, Herita Ilunga, Zavon Hines, Luis Boa Morte and Calum Davenport remain on the sidelines. Teams: Chelsea (from): Turnbull, Taylor, Ivanovic, Kalou, Matic, Alex, Drogba, Malouda, Ferreira, Terry, Borini, Lampard, Obi, Deco, Sturridge, Anelka, Zhirkov, J Cole, Belletti, Ballack, Kakuta. West Ham (from): Green, Stech, Kurucz, Daprela, Spector, Gabbidon, Upson, Tomkins, Collison, Kovac, Parker, Behrami, Diamanti, Dyer, Franco, Cole, Mido, McCarthy, Ilan. Hull vs Arsenal Arsenal look set again be without captain Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) for Saturday's Premier League trip to Hull. Winger Tomas Rosicky faces a fitness test on his groin problem, while Bacary Sagna (ankle) is also a doubt, although veteran defender Sol Campbell is expected to be available after suffering from cramp after the midweek Champions League win over Porto. Midfielder Alex Song serves the second match of a domestic ban, while centre-back William Gallas (calf) is still sidelined. Aaron Ramsey (broken leg), Robin van Persie (ankle) and Johan Djourou (knee) are long-term absentees. Hull manager Phil Brown is set to retain Jimmy Bullard and Nick Barmby in his squad despite their bust-up this week. The duo had to be separated by team-mates following an altercation on Monday, just a day after the Tigers were thrashed 5-1 at Everton. Bullard started at Goodison Park on his return from a knee injury, that had kept him sidelined since December, and is set to keep his starting role. Brown will welcome back defender Andy Dawson who missed the Everton defeat after suffering an asthma attack as well as Dean Marney while Craig Fagan returns from suspension. Republic of Ireland winger Stephen Hunt will face a late fitness test on his foot injury while Anthony Gardner (ankle) is still at least a month away from a return. Teams: Hull (from): Myhill, Duke, Dawson, Marney, Zayette, McShane, Mouyokolo, Kilbane, Boateng, Bullard, Cairney, Garcia, Geovanni, Ghilas, Hunt, Olofinjana, Barmby, Altidore, Fagan, Venegoor of Hesselink, Zaki.e Arsenal (from): Almunia, Clichy, Vermaelen, Campbell, Eboue, Arshavin, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Walcott, Bendtner, Fabianski, Rosicky, Silvestre, Sagna, Traore, Eduardo, Vela, Eastmond.
Tottenham vs Blackburn
David Dunn will be available for Blackburn against Tottenham on Saturday after coming through a reserve game in midweek.
Lars Jacobsen (hernia), Ryan Nelsen (knee), and Vince Grella (calf) will miss the trip to White Hart Lane.
Tottenham pair Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker are back in contention after being cup-tied last weekend.
Ledley King (thigh), Tom Huddlestone (ankle), Jermaine Jenas (groin), Aaron Lennon (groin) and David Bentley (groin) are out of the match at White Hart Lane.
Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Carlo Cudicini (wrist and pelvis) are long-term absentees.
Teams:
Tottenham (from): Gomes, Alnwick, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Bassong, Bale, Kranjcar, Modric, Palacios, Crouch, Gudjohnsen, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Rose, Livermore, Dervite, Parrett, Fredericks, Townsend, Kane, Kaboul, Walker.
Blackburn (from): Robinson, Olsson, Salgado, Givet, Pedersen, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Roberts, Diouf, Andrews, Kalinic, Dunn, Chimbonda, Basturk, Di Santo, Brown, Samba, Emerton, Jones.
Stoke vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa's leading scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor is expected to be fit for the Barclays Premier League clash at Stoke on Saturday.
The England striker has returned to training after being ruled out of last weekend's FA Cup quarter-final win at Reading with a stomach bug. Agbonlahor, who has been on target 14 times this season, needs one more goal to reach the 50 mark for Villa. Villa boss Martin O'Neill has to decide whether to persevere with John Carew who scored his second hat-trick for the club against the Royals to inspire a second half comeback. O'Neill has no fresh injury worries as Villa gear up for a spell of five league games in 15 days as they play catch-up after their Carling Cup and FA Cup success this season. Stoke trio Ricardo Fuller, Glenn Whelan and Danny Higginbotham could come into contention. In addition to a back problem Fuller has a touch of flu while Whelan (hamstring) and Higginbotham (back) are also having treatment for injuries. Manager Tony Pulis will make a late decision on all three players. He is already without Ryan Shawcross through suspension while Salif Diao has a calf strain. Teams: Stoke (from): Sorensen, Wilkinson, Whitehead, Abdoulaye Faye, Huth, Collins, Lawrence, Pugh, Whelan, Tuncay, Delap, Etherington, Sidibe, Fuller, Kitson, Higginbotham, Simonsen, Beattie, Davies, Amdy Faye. Aston Villa (from): Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Downing, Milner, Petrov, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew, Heskey, Guzan, Luke Young, Sidwell, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye, Davies.
Birmingham vs Everton
Birmingham midfielder Lee Boywer has recovered from illness and should be available for the home Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday.
Bowyer was ruled out of the mid-week win at Portsmouth when Blues boss Alex McLeish decided to rest several regular players. Sebastian Larsson, James McFadden and skipper Stephen Carr will be in contention for a return to the starting line-up. Veteran striker Kevin Phillips is battling to shake off a hamstring niggle. But right-back Stuart Parnaby, who deputised for Carr at Fratton Park, is ruled out with an ankle injury in the latest of a series of setbacks this season. Everton will be without midfielder Leon Osman with a groin problem that is likely to sideline him for at least two weeks. Fellow midfielder Tim Cahill is back in training after a calf injury, but is more likely to play against Bolton in a week's time. Striker Louis Saha is also training again after a hamstring problem, but he is also unlikely to be involved at St Andrews. The match is expected to be Landon Donovan's final game for Everton before returning to Los Angeles Galaxy in the MSL after a two-month loan spell. Teams: Birmingham (from): Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Larsson, Michel, Bowyer, Ferguson, Fahey, Jerome, McFadden, Benitez, Taylor, Tainio, Murphy, Queudrue, Phillips, Jervis. Everton (from): Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Anichebe, Donovan, Rodwell, Heitinga, Arteta, Pienaar, Gosling, Yakubu, Nash, Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Saha, Cahill. Bolton vs Wigan Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has reported no fresh injury worries ahead of his side's trip to Bolton in the Premier League this weekend. Latics will travel to the Reebok in good spirits after an historic first-ever victory over Liverpool on Monday night, and Martinez is expected to stick with the same XI. Captain Mario Melchiot remains on the sidelines with a thigh problem, while January arrival Steve Gohouri continues to work towards full fitness, but everyone else is fit and raring to go. Midfielder Tamir Cohen returns to the Bolton squad after serving a one-match ban following his dismissal at West Ham the previous weekend. But full-back Sam Ricketts is out with a ban after being red-carded in the 4-0 defeat at Sunderland on Tuesday. Boss Owen Coyle expects midfielders Fabrice Muamba and on-loan Jack Wilshere to have recovered from minor injuries sustained in the same match. Bolton will lose midfielder Gavin McCann for the rest of the season due to an ankle operation, but defender Gary Cahill is progressing well as he recovers from a blood clot and is expected to return to training next week. Teams: Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Knight, Robinson, Muamba, Lee, Gardner, Taylor, Wilshere, Cohen, K.Davies, Elmander, Klasnic, Weiss, A Habsi, A.O'Brien, Riga. Wigan (from): Kirkland, Stojkovic, Pollitt, Boyce, Bramble, Caldwell, Amaya, Figueroa, N'Zogbia, Diame, Thomas, McCarthy, Scharner, Gomez, Koumas, Moses, Sinclair, Rodallega, Scotland, Moreno.
Burnley vs Wolves
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy could name an unchanged side for the fifth successive match for Saturday's Premier League relegation clash with Burnley at Turf Moor
McCarthy was delighted with his side's overall performance in the single goal reversal against champions Manchester United at Molineux last weekend. Striker Stefan Maierhofer is fit after recovering from an ankle injury suffered in training but the best the former Rapid Vienna player can hope for is a place amongst the substitutes. Midfielder Dave Edwards is also back in training after three months on the side-lines with an ankle problem and he may be available for the following weekend's derby at Aston Villa. Burnley's top-scorer Steven Fletcher could make his return from injury. Fletcher, who has 11 goals this season, has missed the Clarets' last two matches after breaking his hand while on international duty with Scotland. The game will almost certainly come too soon for Chris McCann to feature as he continues his recovery from a knee problem, while Steven Caldwell (groin) remains sidelined. Teams: Burnley (from): Jensen, Alexander, Mears, Fox, Carlisle, Bikey, Cort, Jordan, Eagles, Edgar, Elliott, Cork, McDonald, Paterson, Fletcher, Nugent, Blake, Thompson, Duff, Penny, Gudjonsson, Weaver, Rodriguez. Wolves (from): Hahnemann, Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Ward, Foley, Guedioura, Henry, Jones, Jarvis, Doyle, Keogh, Ebanks-Blake, Vokes, Hennessey, Elokobi, Milijas, Mancienne, Maierhofer.
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