Saturday, January 20th (kick-off 3.0pm unless stated otherwise)
West Ham (10) v Arsenal (5) (12.30pm)
Fabian Balbuena is the latest addition to West Ham’s long-term injury list. The Paraguayan defender resumed training this week after a knee problem, but suffered a setback and has now undergone surgery which will rule him out for up to eight weeks. It remains to be seen whether Marko Arnautovic will play after his agent claimed the striker wants to move to China. Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sanchez, Andriy Yarmolenko, Winston Reid, Javier Hernandez and Ryan Fredericks are all still absent, although the latter pair are due back in training next week.
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery can call on fit-again Mesut Ozil (knee), Laurent Koscielny (back), Hector Bellerin (calf), Konstantinos Mavropanos (groin), Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal (both hamstring) if required at the London Stadium. It remains to be seen how many will be given the nod by Emery, who remains without the services of Rob Holding (knee), Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Danny Welbeck (both ankle).
Last season: Arsenal 4 West Ham 1, West Ham 0 Arsenal 0
Last five league matches: West Ham W L W L D; Arsenal L W D L W
Top scorers (all competitions): Felipe Anderson & Marko Arnautovic (West Ham) 8; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) 16
Match odds: H 5-2 D 11-4 A 1-1
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham)
Brighton (13) v Liverpool (1)
Brighton left-back Bernardo has been ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered in the top-flight clash with West Ham on January 2, with Gaetan Bong set to deputise. Goalkeeper Mat Ryan and winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh are both on Asian Cup duty with their countries, while Jose Izquierdo continues to recover from a knee injury.
Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip has a chance of being fit for the trip to the south coast. The German has missed the last six matches with a broken collarbone but his comeback is timely with Dejan Lovren ruled out for at least a fortnight with a hamstring problem. Adam Lallana (muscle) and Joe Gomez (foot) are both still sidelined but Jordan Henderson is back in training after a calf problem kept him out of the FA Cup defeat at Wolves.
Last season: Liverpool 4 Brighton 0, Brighton 1 Liverpool 5
Last five league matches: Brighton L L D W D; Liverpool W W W W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Glenn Murray (Brighton) 8; Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 16
Match odds: H 9-1 D 9-2 A 3-10
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Burnley (16) v Fulham (19)
Tom Heaton is expected to return to the Burnley team. The goalkeeper played in the last two Premier League games, with Joe Hart on the bench. Boss Sean Dyche has said Nick Pope, who made his comeback from a dislocated shoulder in last weekend’s FA Cup win over Barnsley, will be “given the time to be as right as you can possibly be”. Dyche, who made eight changes for the tie, has also said there is “a strong chance” at least one of Phil Bardsley and Matt Lowton (knocks) will be fit. Johann Berg Gudmundsson (thigh) is a doubt, and Aaron Lennon (knee) and Robbie Brady (suspension) remain unavailable.
Fulham defender Alfie Mawson will miss out with a knee injury. The Cottagers are still assessing the extent of the problem for the former Swansea man, with no prognosis yet on a recovery timescale. Boss Claudio Ranieri will revert to his first-choice starting XI after last weekend’s surprise 2-1 home FA Cup loss to League Two Oldham.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Burnley L L L W W; Fulham L D D W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Chris Wood (Burnley) 6; Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) 8
Match odds: H 13-10 D 11-5 A 9-4
Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)
Cardiff (17) v Huddersfield (20)
Danny Ward is set to miss out for Cardiff after suffering a blow to the head during the FA Cup defeat at Gillingham last weekend. He is scheduled to see a neurosurgeon ahead of the Huddersfield game. Rhys Healey, recalled from a loan spell at MK Dons, is set to take Ward’s place in the squad, with Kenneth Zohore still nursing a thigh injury.
Jason Puncheon is expected to make his Premier League debut for Huddersfield in the Welsh capital. Puncheon, on loan from Crystal Palace, started in last week’s FA Cup defeat at Bristol City after joining until the end of the season. Defender Christopher Schindler returns to contention after sitting out a one-game ban and boss David Wagner is expected to recall Jonas Lossl in place of Ben Hamer. Aaron Mooy, Danny Williams (both knee), Abdelhamid Sabiri (collarbone) and Tommy Smith are all still out.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Cardiff L L D W L; Huddersfield L L L L L
Top scorers (all competitions): Callum Paterson (Cardiff) 4; Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield) 3
Match odds: H 5-4 D 21-10 A 5-2
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Crystal Palace (14) v Watford (8)
Christian Benteke could return to the Palace squad. The Belgian forward has been absent since September 1 with a knee injury but boss Roy Hodgson has revealed he is in contention to face the Hornets. Nya Kirby and Alexander Sorloth have been sent out on loan, while Pape Souare is out for two months because of a dislocated shoulder.
Andre Gray and Christian Kabasele have returned to training for Watford. Gray has missed seven games following a leg injury, while Kabasele has been absent since he collided with a post in Watford’s Boxing Day defeat to Chelsea. Defender Sebastian Prodl (knee) is now the only absentee from Javi Gracia’s squad.
Last season: Watford 0 Crystal Palace 0, Crystal Palace 2 Watford 1
Last five league matches: Crystal Palace W W D L W; Watford W W L D D
Top scorers (all competitions): Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace) 6; Troy Deeney & Roberto Pereyra (Watford) 6
Match odds: H 6-5 D 23-10 A 12-5
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Leicester (7) v Southampton (18)
Jamie Vardy will return to the Leicester squad when they resume Premier League action at home to Southampton but Jonny Evans (broken toe) is ruled out. Vardy was rested last weekend as the Foxes were knocked out of the FA Cup by League Two side Newport. Boss Claude Puel has added to his attacking options by recalling academy product Harvey Barnes from his loan spell at West Brom and the 21-year-old could be involved against Saints.
Southampton are without injured forwards Danny Ings and Michael Obafemi, who both have hamstring problems. Defender Ryan Bertrand (back) also remains unavailable, but has returned to training, while Maya Yoshida is away on international duty with Japan at the Asian Cup. Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg continues his four-match suspension.
Last season: Leicester 0 Southampton 0, Southampton 1 Leicester 4
Last five league matches: Leicester L W W L W; Southampton W W L L D
Top scorers (all competitions): Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 7; Danny Ings (Southampton) 8
Match odds: H 19-20 D 12-5 A 16-5
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Chelsea (4) v Newcastle (15) (5.30pm)
Alvaro Morata is an injury doubt after he missed Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg with Tottenham with a minor hamstring problem. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (back) is out and Cesc Fabregas will not be considered ahead of his likely move to Monaco.
Newcastle defenders Federico Fernandez (hip) and Ciaran Clark (ankle) will both return to contention to give boss Rafael Benitez more options at the back, but Jonjo Shelvey (thigh) will play no part and fellow defender Kenedy is not eligible to face his parent club. Paul Dummett (hamstring) and Karl Darlow (elbow) are still out.
Last season: Newcastle 3 Chelsea 0, Chelsea 3 Newcastle 1
Last five league matches: Chelsea W L W W D; Newcastle W D L D L
Top scorers (all competitions): Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 12; Salomon Rondon (Newcastle) 6
Match odds: H 2-9 D 5-1 A 14-1
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
Sunday, January 13th
Everton (11) v Bournemouth (12) (2.15pm)
Everton manager Marco Silva will bring back his first-team regulars. He rested six players for last weekend’s FA Cup win over League Two Lincoln but the likes of defenders Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman, midfielder Andre Gomes and forward Richarlison are set to return. Winger Theo Walcott and defender Michael Keane come back into the squad having been rested last weekend.
Bournemouth trio Callum Wilson, Joshua King and Ryan Fraser will undergo late fitness tests. Strikers Wilson (hamstring) and King (flu) missed the Cherries’ FA Cup loss to Brighton last weekend, while winger Fraser (hamstring) reported injured following the tie. Right-back Nathaniel Clyne could make his league debut for the club, but fellow new signing Dominic Solanke (hamstring) will not be involved, while Simon Francis, Adam Smith and Lewis Cook (all knee) remain sidelined.
Last season: Bournemouth 2 Everton 1, Everton 2 Bournemouth 1
Last five league matches: Everton L L W L L; Bournemouth L W L L D
Top scorers (all competitions): Richarlison & Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton) 9; Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) 10
Match odds: H 3-4 D 14-5 A 18-5
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Tottenham (3) v Manchester United (6) (4.15pm)
Tottenham will assess Lucas Moura after the Brazilian missed the midweek Carabao Cup win over Chelsea with a knee injury. He will face a fitness test ahead of Sunday’s game. Eric Dier (appendicitis) and Victor Wanyama (knee) miss out, while Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele are back in training but not match-fit.
Manchester United are set to welcome back Paul Pogba for the trip to Wembley. The Frenchman missed last weekend’s FA Cup win over Reading because of a knock to the back of his right leg but United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the midfielder is ready to return. Marcos Rojo has returned to his native Argentina as his injury is taking longer to heal than anticipated, while Chris Smalling (foot) is a doubt and Eric Bailly completes a three-match suspension.
Last season: Tottenham 2 Man Utd 0, Man Utd 1 Tottenham 0
Last five league matches: Tottenham Hotspur W W W L W; Man Utd L W W W W
Top scorers (all competitions): Harry Kane (Tottenham) 20; Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial & Paul Pogba (Man Utd) 9.
Match odds: H 11-10 D 5-2 A 5-2
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Monday, January 14th
Manchester City (2) v Wolves (9) (8.0pm)
Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany could both be back in contention. The pair missed the cup games against Rotherham and Burton, striker Aguero through illness and captain Kompany with a muscular problem, but are close to fitness. Midfielder Fernandinho is expected to return after being rested for both cup matches but left-back Benjamin Mendy (knee) and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (Achilles) are still out.
Wolves have no fresh injury concerns. Rui Patricio, Matt Doherty and Romain Saiss are expected to return after being rested for Monday’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Liverpool. Diogo Jota may lose his place to Ivan Cavaleiro after a below-par return against the Reds following almost a month out with a hamstring problem.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Man City W L L W W; Wolves W L D W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Sergio Aguero (Man City) 14; Raul Jimenez (Wolves) 7
Match odds: H 1-6 D 13-2 A 16-1
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
