Football: Match-by-match guide to the Premiership

Today

Arsenal v Middlesbrough

Last season: 0-1

ARSENAL'S Gilles Grimandi and Matthew Upson will replace Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown (both suspended). Vieira starts a seven-match ban and Keown will miss the next two. Ray Parlour is fit and will challenge Fredrik Ljungberg for a right-wing role. Silvinho is still out with a thigh muscle injury. Oleg Luzhny, who made a return for Ukraine in midweek, despite Arsenal's belief he was unfit through a groin injury, faces a fitness test.

Paul Gascoigne has been recalled by Middlesbrough but Gary Pallister and Phil Stamp are rated at only 50-50 with back and groin injuries respectively. The youngsters Jason Gavin, Robbie Stockdale and Carlos Marinelli have come into the squad.

ARSENAL (from): Seaman, Dixon, Upson, Adams, Winterburn, Parlour, Ljungberg, Grimandi, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp, Suker, Kanu, Henry, Vivas, Hughes, Malz, Manninger.

MIDDLESBROUGH (from): Schwarzer, Beresford, Stamp, Stockdale, Gavin, Festa, Pallister, Cooper, Vickers, Fleming, Mustoe, Maddison, Gascoigne, Ince, Juninho, Campbell, Deane, Armstrong, Ricard, Marinelli.

Suspensions: Arsenal: Vieira, Keown. Boro: Ziege, O'Neill.

Leading scorers: Arsenal: Kanu (10). Boro: Deane (6).

Referee: N Barry.

Derby County v Manchester United

Last season: 1-1

DERBY'S ESTEBAN FUERTES is still in Argentina trying to sort out his passport problems. Deon Burton is suspended, Mikkel Beck is on loan at Nottingham Forest and Lee Morris is out with a broken foot, so Jim Smith might use the versatile Rory Delap in attack. Mart Poom may replace Russell Hoult in goal.

Gary Neville could start only his second Premiership game of the season for Manchester United. Teddy Sheringham and Nicky Butt are also back from injury but there is a doubt over Denis Irwin's fitness. Butt could replace Paul Scholes if Alex Ferguson decides to rest the latter ahead of Tuesday's Champions' League game against Fiorentina.

DERBY COUNTY (from): Poom, Hoult, Borbokis, Laursen, Prior, Carbonari, Powell, Johnson, Schnoor, Dorigo, Delap, Sturridge, Christie, Harper, Murray, Elliott, Boertien, Robinson.

MANCHESTER UNITED (from): Bosnich, G Neville, Irwin, May, Stam, Berg, P Neville, Silvestre, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Butt, Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Wallwork, van der Gouw.

Suspension: Derby: Burton.

Leading scorers: Derby: Delap (5). Man Utd: Cole (13).

Referee: M Reed.

Everton v Chelsea

Last season: 0-0

EVERTON'S DAVID WEIR misses the match through suspension. Francis Jeffers (hernia) returns to the squad but will start as a substitute. Also available again after injury or illness are Michael Ball, Abel Xavier, Richard Gough, Mark Pembridge and Thomas Myhre. Missing for the next month will be defender Dave Watson, 38 this weekend, who has had a knee operation.

The Chelsea left-back Graeme Le Saux is likely to be out of action for several more weeks as he struggles to recover from an ankle injury sustained against Arsenal last month. Gianluca Vialli, whose side have picked up just one point in their past four Premiership games, is also without Dennis Wise (suspended) and striker Mikael Forssell, who has a knee problem.

EVERTON (from): Gerrard, Dunne, Unsworth, Gough, Ball, Xavier, Hutchison, Collins, Pembridge, Barmby, Campbell, Johnson, Jeffers, Myhre, Simonsen, Cleland, Ward, Gemmill.

CHELSEA (from): De Goey, Cudicini, Ferrer, Babayaro, Desailly, Leboeuf, Lambourde, Hogh, Deschamps, Morris, di Matteo, Petrescu, Poyet, Goldbaek, Ambrosetti, Zola, Sutton, Flo.

Suspensions: Everton: Weir. Chelsea: Wise.

Leading scorers: Everton: Campbell (7). Chelsea: Poyet (5).

Referee: M Halsey.

Leeds United v Bradford City

Last season: No fixture

LEEDS WILL be without their winger, Harry Kewell, after Fifa, football's world governing body, upheld a complaint by Soccer Australia. Fifa enforced the five-day ruling on Kewell after he recently missed two international friendlies against Brazil through injury. Jonathon Woodgate, Lee Bowyer, Michael Bridges, Gary Kelly and Ian Harte are all fit after recent injury problems.

The Bradford striker, Dean Saunders, will miss the Yorkshire derby after failing to shake off a hamstring strain. The Welshman is the only absentee for the game which marks the return to Leeds of the former Whites Lee Sharpe, David Wetherall and Gunnar Halle, who all joined Bradford in the summer.

LEEDS UNITED (from): Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Haaland, Radebe, Woodgate, Hopkin, Bridges, Bowyer, Huckerby, McPhail, Smith, Mills, Bakke, Jones, Duberry, Batty, Robinson.

BRADFORD CITY (from): Clarke, Myers, McCall, Wetherall, Lawrence, Blake, Mills, Whalley, Beagrie, O'Brien, Windass, Sharpe, Halle, Rankin, Dreyer, Jacobs, Redfearn, Walsh.

Suspensions: None.

Leading scorers: Leeds: Bridges (11). Bradford: Mills (4).

Referee: P Durkin.

Leicester City v Wimbledon

Last season: 1-1

LEICESTER'S CAPTAIN, Matt Elliott, will serve a one-match ban, picked up for elbowing Michael Owen in last month's home game with Liverpool. Phil Gilchrist and Steve Walsh will be competing for the third centre- back slot while Emile Heskey has recovered from a leg knock and will start.

Ben Thatcher is the only doubt for Wimbledon as they aim to stretch their unbeaten run to 13 games. The defender picked up an ankle ligament injury during training earlier this week and will undergo a last-minute fitness test. Walid Badir should play despite picking up a knock during Israel's midweek Euro 2000 play-off defeat against Denmark.

LEICESTER CITY (from): Flowers, Sinclair, Taggart, Walsh, Izzet, Lennon, Heskey, Guppy, Gunnlaugsson, Savage, Gilchrist, Campbell, Marshall, Fenton, Arphexad, Impey, Wilson, Cottee, Oakes, Zagorakis.

WIMBLEDON (from): Sullivan, Cunningham, Kimble, Roberts, Blackwell, Thatcher, Cort, Earle, Hartson, Ainsworth, Euell, Gayle, Ardley, Pedersen, Leaburn, Wadir, Andresen, Andersen, Heald.

Suspension: Leicester: Elliott.

Leading scorers: Leicester: Izzet (8). Wimbledon: Cort (10).

Referee: A Wiley.

Southampton v Tottenham

Last season: 1-1

THE SOUTHAMPTON full-back, Scott Hiley, could be recalled to the defence to replace the club captain, Jason Dodd, who is still recovering from a knee operation. Mark Hughes and Matt Le Tissier are expected to recover from leg and calf injuries to take their places in the squad while Claus Lundekvam should be fit after a hamstring problem. Kevin Davies and Marco Almeida are both suspended while David Hirst, John Beresford and David Hughes are all out with knee injuries.

Tottenham will be without Stephen Carr. The Republic of Ireland defender damaged ankle ligaments in the Euro 2000 play-off in Turkey on Wednesday and faces several weeks out. Luke Young or Mauricio Taricco could fill in at right-back. Steffen Iversen, who returned from international duty in Norway with an ankle injury, should be fit to start alongside Chris Armstrong.

SOUTHAMPTON (from): Jones, Hiley, Colleter, Lundekvam, Richards, Ripley, Oakley, Soltvedt, M Hughes, Kachloul, Pahars, Beattie, Boa Morte, Le Tissier, Marsden, Bridge, Howells, Benali, Moss.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (from): Walker, Taricco, Edinburgh, Campbell, Perry, Young, Vega, King, Sherwood, Clemence, Freund, Ginola, Leonhardsen, Iversen, Armstrong, Dominguez, Fox, Baardsen.

Suspensions: Saints: Davies, Almeida.

Leading scorers: Saints: Pahars (8). Spurs: Iversen (10).

Referee: S Bennett.

Sunderland v Liverpool

Last season: No fixture

TEENAGER MICHAEL REDDY is standing by to make his first Premiership start for Sunderland in case Niall Quinn suffers any reaction to a neck injury. Peter Reid, already without five players through suspension, has confirmed Reddy will be involved at some stage after scoring the equaliser at Middlesbrough, which extended an unbeaten league run to 10 matches. Darren Williams, Jody Craddock, Darren Holloway, Paul Thirlwell and Carsten Fredgaard all come into contention.

Liverpool will be without Titi Camara (thigh), while the Czech winger, Vladimir Smicer, is out with a hamstring problem. Steve Staunton is struggling with a knee injury. Robbie Fowler (ankle) is not fit enough to be considered after complaining of soreness after a reserve match run-out.

SUNDERLAND (from): Sorensen, Holloway, Gray, Butler, Williams, Roy, Craddock, Summerbee, Rae, Thirlwell, McCann, Quinn, Phillips, Reddy, Dichio, Marriott.

LIVERPOOL (from): Westerveld, Heggem, Henchoz, Hyypia, Matteo, Song, Murphy, Redknapp, Thompson, Hamann, Carragher, Gerrard, Berger, Owen, Meijer, Friedel.

Suspensions: Sunderland: Bould, Makin, Schwarz, Ball, Oster.

Leading scorers: Sunderland: Phillips (13). Liverpool: Camara (5).

Referee: D Gallagher.

Watford v Newcastle

Last season: No fixture

WATFORD'S FRENCH striker, Xavier Gravelaine, could make his debut after joining on a free from Paris St Germain and Neil Cox, a pounds 500,000 buy from Bolton, should make his home debut. Nordin Wooter (knee) and Paul Robinson (ankle) returned to training this week and are in the squad. Nick Wright, Allan Smart, Tommy Mooney and Peter Kennedy are all still out.

Newcastle will be without Duncan Ferguson and Didier Domi. The Scot suffered a calf injury in training while the Frenchman damaged an ankle while with the French Under-21 side. Bobby Robson will await the return of Peruvian winger Nolberto Solano from South America before deciding whether to include him.

WATFORD (from): Chamberlain, Cox, Lyttle, Page, Palmer, Gibbs, Robinson, Panayi, Perpetuini, Hyde, Easton, Johnson, Miller, Wooter, Gravelaine, Smith, Ngonge, Noel-Williams, Gudmundsson, Day.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (from): Harper, Karelse, Pistone, Dumas, Dabizas, Hughes, Marcelino, Speed, Lee, Solano, Maric, Fumaca, McClen, Glass, Shearer, Gallacher, Robinson, Ketsbaia.

Suspensions: Watford: Williams. Newcastle: Barton.

Leading scorers: Watford: Cox (3). Newcastle: Shearer (14).

Referee: S Dunn.

Tomorrow

West Ham v Sheff Wed

Last season: 0-4

WEST HAM have virtually a clean bill of health for tomorrow, with only Stuart Pearce and Ian Pearce on the injured list. Steve Lomas and Javier Margas are ruled out through suspension, however. Gary Charles could make his long-awaited debut while Scott Minto is also fit. Paolo di Canio has been passed fit to play against his former club.

Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Wilson looks likely to field the same line- up which started against Watford two weeks ago. Niclas Alexandersson was a doubt with a slight muscle strain at the top of his hamstring, but has trained this week and is fit to play.

WEST HAM (from): Hislop, Potts, Ruddock, Ferdinand, Stimac, Charles, Sinclair, Moncur, Lampard, Foe, Cole, Minto, Keller, di Canio, Wanchope, Kitson, Forrest..

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (from): Pressman, Atherton, Hinchcliffe, Jonk, Emerson, Walker, Sonner, Sibon, Booth, Cresswell, Rudi, Alexandersson, Nolan, Newsome, Humphreys, Briscoe, De Bilde, Srnicek.

Suspensions: West Ham: Lomas, Margas.

Leading scorers: West Ham: Di Canio (6). Sheff Wed: De Bilde (6)

Referee: A Wilkie.

Monday

Coventry v Aston Villa

Last season: 1-2

IF ASTON VILLA lose to their Midlands rivals on Monday, John Gregory's future as the manager will look ever more perilous. After a good start to the season, which saw Villa climb to second in the table with 13 points after six games, Gregory's men hit a poor spell that has yielded only five points in the last eight matches. They have not won in five and, perhaps more worryingly, have not threatened to do so. While there have been no public warnings handed out to Gregory (not by his club at least), he is unlikely to go more than one or two defeats before his future at Villa Park is called into question.

Coventry's Gordon Strachan, by contrast, is enjoying what is, for him, a good season, with the Sky Blues sitting in the lofty 13th spot in the table. His new-look, cosmopolitan side is starting to gel and a win on Monday will send Coventry above Villa.

SQUADS: To be announced.