Team news from the Premier League
All the team news from around the grounds ahead of Week 15 in the Premier League.
Saturday December 5 12.45pm
Stoke will get captain Ryan Shawcross back from suspension for Manchester City’s visit to the Britannia Stadium.
The central defender was sent off in the loss to Sunderland last weekend and served a one-match ban when the Potters beat Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Peter Crouch (hamstring) was injured in that game and could be out for up to four weeks and while Marc Muniesa (hamstring) was back in full training this week, Shay Given (knee) and Peter Odemwingie (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Provisional squad: Butland, Haugaard, Cameron, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Wilson, Muniesa, Johnson, Pieters, Bardsley, Whelan, Adam, Ireland, Sidwell, Van Ginkel, Arnautovic, Bojan, Shaqiri, Afellay, Walters, Joselu, Diouf.
Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure will both miss Manchester City’s Barclays Premier League trip to Stoke on Saturday due to injury.
Aguero is still recovering from a heel injury while Toure joined the club’s lengthy list of casualties after picking up a muscle injury in training.
Joe Hart could return after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury but Eliaquim Mangala is suspended and Vincent Kompany (calf), Pablo Zabaleta (knee) and Samir Nasri (leg) are all still out.
Provisional squad: Hart, Caballero, Sagna, Maffeo, Demichelis, Otamendi, Clichy, Kolarov, Fernando, Fernandinho, Delph, De Bruyne, Sterling, Silva, Navas, Bony, Iheanacho.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Captain Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of Manchester United’s Premier League match against West Ham because of an ankle injury he suffered last week at Leicester.
Centre-back Phil Jones and midfielder Ander Herrera have not overcome the ankle and hamstring injuries they suffered at Watford a fortnight ago.
Defenders Marcos Rojo (shoulder), Luke Shaw (leg) and Antonio Valencia (foot) remain sidelined, but midfielder Jesse Lingard has recovered from a hamstring injury.
Provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Johnstone, Tuanzebe, Smalling, Darmian, McNair, Mata, Blind, Young, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Powell, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Lingard, Depay, Pereira, Martial.
Andy Carroll is set to start in attack for West Ham at Manchester United after Diafra Sakho was ruled out for around two months.
Sakho suffered a thigh injury against West Brom last Sunday and joins Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia (both ankle) on the sidelines.
But skipper Mark Noble and defender James Collins are available after completing suspensions.
Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Collins, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Song, Lanzini, Moses, Carroll, Obiang, Zarate, Ogbonna, Jelavic, Antonio, Cullen, Oxford.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes will be given the chance to prove his fitness for Watford’s Barclays Premier League clash against Norwich at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Gomes sustained a neck injury during last weekend’s win over Aston Villa, but boss Quique Flores is hopeful his number one will be fit to face the Canaries.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Prodl (calf) and Joel Ekstrand (knee) are both still unavailable for the Hornets.
Professional squad: Gomes, Nyom, Cathcart, Britos, Anya, Capoue, Watson, Abdi, Deeney, Jurado, Ighalo, Oulare, Paredes, Ake, Guedioura, Ibarbo, Diamanti, Arlauskis.
Norwich expect to have midfielder Alex Tettey available after a groin problem for the trip to Watford.
Manager Alex Neil reported no fresh injury worries following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Captain Russell Martin could come back into contention having been an unused substitute against the Gunners, but winger Matt Jarvis – on loan from West Ham - remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Provisional squad: Ruddy, Wisdom, Bassong, Bennett, Olsson, Dorrans, O’Neil, Brady, Howson, Hoolahan, Mbokani, Rudd, Martin, Grabban, Jerome, Mulumbu, Redmond, Odjidja-Ofoe, Lafferty.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Captain Jose Fonte remains a doubt for Southampton ahead of their Premier League clash with bottom-of-the-table Aston Villa on Saturday.
Fonte missed out on Saints’ 6-1 defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup due to a badly cut knee but has been back in training since.
Jay Rodriguez (ankle), Fraser Forster and Florin Gardos (both knee) are still unavailable.
Provisional squad: Stekelenburg, Soares, Caulker, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Clasie, Wanyama, Tadic, Mane, Davis, Pelle, Yoshida, Long, Romeu, Martina, Ward-Prowse, Juanmi, Fonte.
Jack Grealish will again be left out of Aston Villa’s squad at Southampton as he continues to be punished for partying following the 4-0 defeat at Everton last month.
The midfielder has continued to train with the under-21s this week while Ciaran Clark is suspended and Micah Richards is a serious doubt with a knee injury.
Gabby Agbonlahor has recovered from a calf injury, which has kept him out since Remi Garde was appointed in November, and is available while Jores Okore or Joleon Lescott will start for either Clark or Richards in defence but Jordan Amavi (knee) is out for the season.
Provisional squad: Guzan, Bunn, Hutton, Bacuna, Okore, Richards, Lescott, Richardson, Sanchez, Westwood, Gana, Veretout, N’Zogbia, Traore, Gil, Sinclair, Ayew, Agbonlahor, Gestede.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Arsenal will be without Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League visit of Sunderland.
The pair were both injured in last weekend’s draw at Norwich with a hamstring injury sidelining Sanchez and Cazorla facing up to four months out with a knee problem.
Laurent Koscielny was also forced off with a hip complaint but is in contention to return against the Black Cats, as is Theo Walcott who has overcome a calf problem. Jack Wilshere (leg), Mikel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs (both calf), Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky (all knee) are all expected to miss out.
Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Monreal, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Ramsey, Flamini, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, Campbell, Walcott, Giroud.
Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe will miss Saturday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Arsenal through injury.
The former England frontman will sit out with a hamstring problem and he will be joined on the sidelines by midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who this week flew to Barcelona for an assessment of a troublesome knee injury.
However, full-back Billy Jones, who missed last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Stoke through suspension, is available once again.
Provisional squad: Pantilimon, Mannone, Jones, Yedlin, Van Aanholt, O’Shea, Coates, Kaboul, Brown, Cattermole, M’Vila, Rodwell, Gomez, Johnson, Lens, Toivonen, Borini, Fletcher, Watmore, Graham.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Jonjo Shelvey is available for Swansea’s Barclays Premier League home game with Leicester after serving a one-match suspension.
But the England midfielder, an ever-present in the league until being banned for picking up five yellow cards, might struggle to reclaim his place following Swansea’s improved performance in their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool last weekend.
Defender Franck Tabanou will be out for a few weeks as the France Under-21 summer signing tore a thigh muscle in training.
Provisional squad: Fabianski, Naughton, Bartley, Williams, Taylor, Britton, Ki, Routledge, Ayew, Sigurdsson, Eder, Nordfeldt, Rangel, Fernandez, Amat, Cork, Shelvey, Montero, Gomis, Emnes, Barrow, Grimes.
Leicester’s Ritchie de Laet has been ruled out for up to a month after suffering an ankle injury.
The full-back picked up the problem in training this week and is a doubt for the Foxes’ festive programme, starting at Swansea on Saturday, with Nathan Dyer also unavailable under the terms of his loan from the Swans.
Midfielder Matty James continued his recovering from a serious knee injury with an hour for the under-21s during the 3-2 defeat to Villarreal this week but is unlikely to feature as he slowly returns to action after seven months out.
Provisional squad: Schmeichel, Schwarzer, Simpson, Fuchs, Schlupp, Benalouane, Morgan, Huth, Wasilewski, Drinkwater, King, Kante, Albrighton, Inler, Mahrez, Ulloa, Kramaric, Vardy, Okazaki.
Saturday December 5 3pm
Saido Berahino could face Tottenham for the first time since Spurs had four bids rejected for the West Brom star in the summer.
The forward threatened to go on strike after Saturday’s visitors saw two offers turned down on deadline day and has been on the Baggies’ bench for their last three games.
Midfielder Claudio Yacob is banned after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday but Chris Brunt is available after suspension while Ben Foster remains out with a long-term knee injury.
Provisional squad: Myhill, Lindegaard, Dawson, Brunt, McAuley, Olsson, Evans, Chester, Fletcher, Morrison, McClean, Sessegnon, McManaman, Gnabry, Gardner, Rondon, Berahino, Lambert, Anichebe.
Tottenham will be without midfielder Ryan Mason for their trip to West Brom on Saturday.
Mason is expected to be out for two weeks after sustaining an ankle injury against Chelsea last weekend but Dele Alli can step in as he returns from suspension.
Nacer Chadli (ankle) and Nabil Bentaleb (foot) are close to recovery but both are more likely to come back against Monaco in the Europa League next Thursday. Alex Pritchard remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Walker, Rose, Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Vertonghen, Fazio, Davies, Winks, Dier, Alli, Carroll, Dembele, Townsend, Eriksen, Onomah, Son Heung-min, Lamela, Njie, Kane, Harrison.
Saturday December 5 5.30pm
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is in contention to return following a three-month absence when Chelsea host Bournemouth in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
Courtois could displace Asmir Begovic after recovering from his knee injury, while striker Diego Costa could also return after being unhappy at not featuring at Tottenham last Sunday.
Manager Jose Mourinho had hoped to have captain John Terry, Ramires and Radamel Falcao available, but the trio remain out.
Provisional squad: Courtois, Begovic, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Zouma, Rahman, Oscar, Hazard, Mikel, Traore, Kenedy, Pedro, Remy, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Blackman, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek, Djilobodji.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is not giving away any clues on who will keep goal for the Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Artur Boruc is troubled by a groin injury, while Adam Federici has an ankle problem and Howe is keeping his cards close to his chest on the fitness of the pair.
The Cherries currently have 10 players on the injured list and although Marc Pugh (Achilles) has started running again, he remains short of match fitness. Harry Arter (hamstring) will be unavailable this weekend but should be back in contention soon.
Provisional squad: Federici, Francis, Cook, Distin, Daniels, Ritchie, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, King, Smith, MacDonald, Kermorgant, Allsop, Murray, O’Kane, Cargill, Boruc
Sunday December 6 4pm
Newcastle’s injury problems show no sign of abating after defender Mike Williamson was ruled out of Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Williamson was recalled from a loan spell at Wolves after fellow central defender Jamaal Lascelles picked up a hamstring problem, but is now sidelined with a similar injury.
Midfielder Cheick Tiote has failed to shake of a groin strain in time to return, and he will remain on the casualty list alongside keeper Tim Krul (knee ligaments), defenders Steven Taylor (hamstring) and Massadio Haidara (knee cartilage), midfielders Gabriel Obertan (hamstring) and Rolando Aarons (foot) and striker Emmanuel Riviere (knee).
Provisional squad: Elliot, Darlow, Janmaat, Dummett, Coloccini, Mbemba, Mbabu, Sterry, Colback, Anita, Wijnaldum, Sissoko, Thauvin, De Jong, Gouffran, Mitrovic, Cisse, Perez.
Midfielder Philippe Coutinho is a major doubt for Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle on Sunday.
The Brazil international had missed the last three matches with a hamstring injury and his recovery is taking longer than anticipated.
Midfielder Emre Can serves a one-match suspension while defender Kolo Toure has a knock and is unlikely to travel.
Provisional squad: Mignolet, Bogdan, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Randall, Smith, Lucas, Milner, Allen, Henderson, Lallana, Brannagan, Ibe, Firmino, Sturridge, Benteke, Origi.
Monday December 7 8pm
Everton midfielder James McCarthy faces a late fitness test on a hip injury over the weekend to see if he will be available for Monday’s visit of Crystal Palace.
The Republic of Ireland international missed Tuesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final win at Middlesbrough and manager Roberto Martinez will leave it late to decide whether to include him.
Defender Leighton Baines is edging closer to full fitness after his second substitute appearance of the season after ankle surgery but will continue to be eased back in and is unlikely to start.
Provisional squad: Howard, Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway, Barry, Cleverley, Deulofeu, Barkley, Kone, Lukaku, Robles, Baines, Gibson, Osman, Lennon, Besic, Naismith, Mirallas, Lennon.
Crystal Palace are without Wilfried Zaha for Monday’s Barclays Premier League fixture at Everton after the winger earned a suspension with a yellow card for diving against Newcastle.
Manager Alan Pardew is also without Bakary Sako due to a hamstring injury.
In their absences, he is likely to turn to turn to either Mile Jedinak or Joe Ledley, to strengthen his midfield against one of the division’s most talented teams, or Lee Chung-yong as a more direct replacement.
Provisional squad: Bamford, Bolasie, Cabaye, Campbell, Chamakh, Dann, Delaney, Gayle, Hangeland, Hennessey, Jedinak, Kelly, Ledley, Lee, Mariappa, McArthur, McCarthy, Mutch, Puncheon, Souare, Speroni, Ward, Wickham.
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