Mata and van Persie start for United
Juan Mata has been handed his first Manchester United start for their Barclays Premier League encounter with Cardiff – and Robin van Persie returned too as David Moyes’ men looked to kick-start their season.
Mata completed his club record £37.1m move from Chelsea on Saturday, while Van Persie has missed 11 games with a thigh strain.
Ryan Giggs was handed his 800th start for the club, whilst Wayne Rooney was also back on the bench after shrugging off a groin problem that has kept him out since the New Year’s Day defeat by Tottenham.
Former United striker Fraizer Campbell was named in attack by Cardiff boss - and Red Devils hero – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who also handed Craig Bellamy his first start since November 9.
Man Utd: De Gea, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Jones, Giggs, Young, Mata, van Persie.
Subs: Rooney, Lindegaard, Hernandez, Cleverley, Fletcher, Kagawa, Januzaj.
Cardiff: Marshall, McNaughton, Caulker, Hudson, John, Noone, Medel, Mutch, Whittingham, Bellamy, Campbell.
Subs: Berget, Turner, Kim, Eikrem, Gunnarsson, Daehli, Lewis.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Newcastle head to Norwich for tonight’s Barclays Premier League clash without key midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who was set for a £20m switch to Paris St-Germain.
Hatem Ben Arfa came into the side, right-back Mathieu Debuchy returned from suspension, with Loic Remy and Sammy Ameobi leading the attack.
Norwich, looking to win consecutive league matches for the first time this season, could not play on-loan Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez against his parent club, so fit-again Anthony Pilkington returned to the starting XI.
Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper were again partnered up front.
Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Ryan Bennett, Bassong, Olsson, Snodgrass, Fer, Johnson, Pilkington, van Wolfswinkel, Hooper.
Subs: Whittaker, Bunn, Elmander, Garrido, Becchio, Redmond, Tettey.
Newcastle: Krul, Debuchy, Steven Taylor, Williamson, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote, Anita, Sammy Ameobi, Remy, Ben Arfa.
Subs: Yanga-Mbiwa, Gosling, Haidara, Elliot, Shola Ameobi, Dummett, Armstrong.
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)
Southampton has handed teenager Sam Gallagher his full senior debut in tonight's Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal.
The 18-year-old striker netted his first goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win against Yeovil in the FA Cup and, with Rickie Lambert absent due to a hamstring complaint and Dani Osvaldo suspended by the club, started at St Mary’s.
Gallagher’s inclusion was one of two alterations from their last league match at Sunderland, with Maya Yoshida replacing the injured Dejan Lovren in central defence.
Mikel Arteta replaced Jack Wilshere, missing out due to an ankle problem, in Arsenal’s only change from their last league outing, a 2-0 win against Fulham.
Southampton: Boruc, Chambers, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw, Cork, Schneiderlin, Rodriguez, Steven Davis, Lallana, Gallagher.
Subs: Kelvin Davis, Clyne, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Do Prado, Hooiveld, Isgrove.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Arteta, Gnabry, Ozil, Cazorla, Giroud.
Subs: Vermaelen, Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabianski, Bendtner, Jenkinson, Gibbs.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Swansea: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Ben Davies, Britton, de Guzman, Routledge, Shelvey, Hernandez, Bony.
Subs: Amat, Taylor, Dyer, Cornell, Lamah, Pozuelo, Vazquez.
Fulham: Stekelenburg, Riether, Burn, Hangeland, Richardson, Sidwell, Parker, Dejagah, Dempsey, Kacaniklic, Berbatov.
Subs: Stockdale, Duff, Hughes, Rodallega, Christensen, Bent, Tankovic.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Shane Long has been handed his Hull debut at Crystal Palace tonight.
The striker, who joined City from West Brom earlier this month, formed a new-look £14m strike force with fellow January signing Nikica Jelavic.
Palace, by contrast, have yet to add to their squad so far during the transfer window.
Boss Tony Pulis recalled Danny Gabbidon, Joel Ward, Dean Moxey, Mile Jedinak and Yannick Bolasie from the side beaten by Wigan in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Puncheon, Ward, Jedinak, Bolasie, Chamakh, Jerome.
Subs: McCarthy, O’Keefe, Gayle, Wilbraham, Williams, Price, Bannan.
Hull: McGregor, Bruce, Davies, McShane, Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Meyler, Rosenior, Jelavic, Long.
Subs: Koren, Fryatt, Boyd, Sagbo, Harper, Faye, Quinn.
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley has made a timely return from a broken toe to start in the 222nd Merseyside derby at Anfield.
The England international made his first appearance since January 4 – as did defender Antolin Alcaraz – as one of five changes from Saturday’s FA Cup win with midfielder Steven Pienaar playing his first match since January 11.
Liverpool, who have not lost a derby at Anfield since 1999, have made three changes from the cup win at Bournemouth with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and Raheem Sterling back and Jon Flanagan making his first start since December 21.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Flanagan, Toure, Skrtel, Cissokho, Sterling, Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge.
Subs: Brad Jones, Alberto, Aspas, Moses, Ibe, Kelly, Smith.
Everton: Howard, Stones, Alcaraz, Jagielka, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Pienaar, Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Hibbert, McGeady, Naismith, Gueye, Osman, Garbutt.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
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