Team news from the Premier League
All the team news from around the grounds ahead of Week 16 in the Premier League.
Saturday December 12 12.45pm
Norwich expect midfielder Wes Hoolahan to be available after a knee problem for the visit of Everton.
Manager Alex Neil must decide whether to recall goalkeeper John Ruddy against his former club, or stick with Declan Rudd, who made a first Barclays Premier League appearance of the season in the 2-0 defeat at Watford.
Captain Russell Martin could come back into contention having been an unused substitute again last week, but winger Matt Jarvis – on loan from West Ham - remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Provisional squad: Ruddy, Wisdom, Bennett, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Howson, Dorrans, Redmond, Brady, Mbokani, Rudd, Grabban, Jerome, Odjidja-Ofoe, Martin, Mulumbu, O’Neil, Hoolahan.
Everton midfielder James McCarthy faces a fitness test ahead of the Toffees’ trip to Norwich on Saturday.
The Republic of Ireland international has missed the last two games with a hip problem.
Left-back Leighton Baines is likely to be on the bench again as he continues to build his way back to full match fitness while captain Phil Jagielka could return from a knee injury before the end of the year.
Provisional squad: Howard, Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway, Barry, Cleverley, Deulofeu, Barkley, Kone, Lukaku, Robles, Baines, Gibson, Osman, Lennon, Besic, Naismith, Mirallas, Lennon.
Saturday December 12 3pm
Winston Reid and Victor Moses are West Ham’s latest casualties ahead of the Barclays Premier League visit of Stoke.
Defender Reid and winger Moses are out until the new year with hamstring injuries and join Dimitri Payet (ankle), Diafra Sakho and Manuel Lanzini (both thigh) on the sidelines.
But forward Enner Valencia could return to the squad if he passes a late fitness test on the ankle injury which has kept him out for five weeks.
Provisional squad: Adrian, Randolph, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Song, Obiang, Zarate, Ogbonna, Valencia, Carroll, Jelavic, Antonio, Cullen, Oxford.
Stoke could have fit-again defender Marc Muniesa back in their matchday 18 for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham at Upton Park.
Muniesa has missed the last six first-team games in all competitions while recovering from a hamstring injury, but has returned to full training and played for the under-21s.
Forwards Peter Crouch and Peter Odemwingie (both hamstring) and goalkeeper Shay Given (knee) remain sidelined as the Potters look to build on last Saturday’s impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City.
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.
Saturday December 12 3pm
Lee Cattermole will remain sidelined for Sunderland’s Barclays Premier League clash with Watford on Saturday following a recurrence of his long-standing back injury.
Boss Sam Allardyce is also without Sebastian Larsson who is out for a month with a knee injury, while Steven Fletcher faces a late test after picking up a foot problem in training.
But there is better news for Allardyce with the returns of Jermain Defoe and Wes Brown who missed last week’s defeat at Arsenal with hamstring and knee issues respectively.
Provisional squad: Pantilimon, Mannone, Jones, Yedlin, Van Aanholt, O’Shea,Coates, Kaboul, Brown, M’Vila, Rodwell, Gomez, Johnson, Lens, Toivonen, Borini, Fletcher, Defoe, Watmore, Graham.
Watford are set to again be without midfielder Valon Behrami, who is nursing a calf problem, for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League match at Sunderland.
Austrian defender Sebastian Prodl has returned to training from his own calf injury, but is not expected to be in the squad for the trip to Wearside.
Defenders Tommie Hoban (groin) and Joel Ekstrand (knee) continue their recovery from long-term injuries.
Provisional Squad: Gomes, Nyom, Cathcart, Ake, Britos, Anya, Capoue, Jurado, Watson, Deeney, Ighalo, Arlauskis, Guedioura, Abdi, Paredes, Diamanti, Oulare, Holebas.
Saturday December 12 3pm
Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany are again missing as Manchester City host managerless Swansea in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
Striker Aguero (foot) has missed City’s last three games and captain Kompany (calf) has been out for the last six matches but both could return to training next week.
Defender Martin Demichelis is available after being rested as a precaution in midweek but midfielder Fernando (hamstring) and right-back Pablo Zabaleta (knee) are not yet fit. Playmaker Samir Nasri is a long-term casualty.
Provisional squad: Hart, Caballero, Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Demichelis, Clichy, Kolarov, Maffeo, Toure, Fernandinho, Delph, Sterling, Silva, De Bruyne, Navas, Bony, Iheanacho, Roberts, Garcia.
Swansea begin life without Garry Monk at Manchester City with first-team coach Alan Curtis in caretaker control.
Curtis has few injury problems ahead of what is expected to be a short stint in charge, French defender Franck Tabanou the only definite absentee with a thigh muscle injury.
But Curtis could make changes after the 3-0 home defeat to Barclays Premier League leaders Leicester which sealed Monk’s fate, and that could mean recalls for Federico Fernandez and Jonjo Shelvey among others.
Provisional squad: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Britton, Ki, Routledge, Ayew, Sigurdsson, Eder, Nordfeldt, Rangel, Bartley, Amat, Cork, Shelvey, Montero, Gomis, Emnes, Barrow, Grimes.
Saturday December 12 3pm
Wilfried Zaha is expected to return to Crystal Palace’s starting XI for Saturday’s home Premier League fixture with Southampton.
The winger is available again having been suspended for Monday’s 1-1 draw at Everton, but manager Alan Pardew has two new injury concerns in addition to Bakary Sako, who remains unavailable owing to a hamstring injury.
Dwight Gayle and Mile Jedinak, who both featured at Everton, have been ruled out, the former after a recurrence of a hamstring injury and the latter after rolling his ankle in training.
Team from: Bamford, Bolasie, Cabaye, Campbell, Chamakh, Dann, Delaney, Hangeland, Hennessey, Kelly, Ledley, Lee, Mariappa, McArthur, McCarthy, Mutch, Puncheon, Souare, Speroni, Ward, Wickham, Zaha
Southampton’s options remain unchanged from those manager Ronald Koeman had for last week’s 1-1 home Premier League draw with Aston Villa.
On Saturday they travel to Crystal Palace, but Koeman remains without long-term absentees Jay Rodriguez (ankle), and Florin Gardos and Fraser Forster (both knee), even if the latter is nearing a return to fitness.
Captain Jose Fonte played the entire 90 minutes against Villa on his return from injury, and will again be available to play at former club Palace.
Provisional squad: Stekelenburg, Soares, Caulker, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Clasie, Wanyama, Tadic, Mane, Davis, Pelle, Yoshida, Long, Romeu, Martina, Ward-Prowse, Juanmi, Fonte.
Saturday December 12 5.30pm
Bournemouth have have been boosted by the return of Lee Tomlin and Marc Pugh ahead of the visit of Manchester United.
Tomlin (groin) and Pugh (Achilles) have been sidelined for around a month but are now back in training.
Goalkeeper Adam Federici’s ankle injury is not as bad as first feared so he could be back soon, but Callum Wilson, Max Gradel, Tyrone Mings and Christian Atsu remain long-term absentees.
Provisional squad: Boruc, Allsop, Smith, Francis, Distin, Daniels, Ritchie, Surman, Gosling, Stanislas, Arter, King, Boruc, Cook, Rantie, MacDonald, Kermorgant, Murray, Tomlin, Bennett, Cargill, O’Kane.
Captain Wayne Rooney is one of nine Manchester United players who will miss Saturday’s game at Bournemouth.
Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is available after overcoming a hip problem, but Rooney (ankle), Marcos Rojo (shoulder), Phil Jones (ankle), Ander Herrera (hamstring), Luke Shaw (leg) and Antonio Valencia (foot) remain out.
Defenders Matteo Darmian (hamstring) and Chris Smalling (groin) are out after suffering their respective injuries in the 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg while Bastian Schweinsteiger begins his three-match suspension for violent conduct following his elbow on Winston Reid in the 0-0 draw against West Ham last weekend.
Provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Johnstone, Varela, Borthwick-Jackson, Blind, McNair, Tuanzebe, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Fellaini, Goss, Depay, Powell, Mata, Young, Lingard, Pereira, Martial, Rashford.
Sunday December 13 1.30pm
Jack Grealish will be back in the Aston Villa squad when Arsenal visit Villa Park.
The 20-year-old midfielder was overlooked for first-team duty against Watford and Southampton following a breach of club discipline.
Leandro Bacuna and Rudy Gestede came off injured against Saints but will be fit for Sunday, although captain Micah Richards is still struggling with the knee problem that ruled him out at St Mary’s.
Provisional squad: Guzan, Bunn, Hutton, Bacuna, Okore, Richards, Lescott, Richardson, Sanchez, Westwood, Gana, Veretout, N’Zogbia, Traore, Gil, Grealish, Sinclair, Ayew, Agbonlahor, Gestede.
Arsene Wenger has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Barclays Premier League bottom club Aston Villa on Sunday.
The squad returned from a successful Champions League game in Olympiacos early on Thursday morning but all are in contention to play at Villa Park.
None of Wenger’s injured players will return against Remi Garde’s strugglers, with Alexis Sanchez (hamstring), Jack Wilshere (leg), Mikel Arteta (calf), Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky (all knee) missing.
Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Monreal, Debuchy, Koscielny, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Bellerin, Chambers, Ramsey, Flamini, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Iwobi, Campbell, Walcott, Giroud.
Sunday December 13 4pm
Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier is expected to shake off a knock in time for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League game at home to Newcastle.
Dier was taken off in the first half of Spurs’ Europa League win over Monaco on Thursday but only as a precaution, while Harry Kane is set to return after sitting out the match.
Mousa Dembele is a doubt as he struggles to overcome a stomach bug. Ryan Mason and Alex Pritchard are both out with ankle injuries.
Provisional squad: Lloris, Vorm, Walker, Rose, Trippier, Davies, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Vertonghen, Carter-Vickers, Fazio, Winks, Dier, Alli, Carroll, Bentaleb, Dembele, Townsend, Eriksen, Onomah, Chadli, Son, Lamela, Njie, Kane.
Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren will select from the same squad as he did for last weekend’s victory over Liverpool for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Tottenham.
McClaren has no new injury problems, and defender Jamaal Lascelles (hamstring) is back in training and is expected to be joined by midfielders Cheick Tiote (groin) and Rolando Aarons (foot) within days.
However, he is still without keeper Tim Krul (knee ligaments), defenders Steven Taylor, Mike Williamson (both hamstring) and Massadio Haidara (knee cartilage), midfielder Gabriel Obertan (hamstring) 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.
Sunday December 13 4pm
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho is in line for a return to the starting line-up against West Brom on Sunday.
The Brazil international came off the bench in the goalless Europa League draw with Sion after four matches out with a hamstring injury.
Defender Martin Skrtel, on the bench in Switzerland, and Alberto Moreno and Lucas Leiva, who were both left at home in midweek, are also set to return to the team.
Provisional squad: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, Can, Milner, Lallana, Coutinho, Benteke, Bodgan, Toure, Randall, Smith, Allen, Henderson, Rossiter, Firmino, Ibe, Origi.
Stephane Sessegnon is out of West Brom’s trip to Liverpool with a hamstring injury.
The forward limped off in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham and will not feature for the Baggies at Anfield but Claudio Yacob is available again after suspension.
Ben Foster remains sidelined with the knee injury he suffered in March and continues to battle back from a set-back he suffered in September but is not expected to play until the new year.
Provisional squad; Myhill, Lindegaard, Brunt, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Chester, Olsson, Yacob, Morrison, Fletcher, Gardner, McManaman, McClean, Gnabry, Rondon, Anichebe, Berahino, Lambert.
Monday December 14 8pm
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri could name an unchanged team when he faces his former club Chelsea on Monday.
The Foxes have no new injury worries with Ritchie de Laet (ankle) out for the rest of the month and Matty James edging towards a comeback following a long-term knee injury.
On-loan winger Nathan Dyer is available again after being ineligible to face his parent club Swansea in Leicester’s 3-0 win at the Liberty Stadium last week.
Provisional squad: Schmeichel, Schwarzer, Simpson, Fuchs, Schlupp, Morgan, Huth, Wasilewski, Benalouane, Kante, King, Drinkwater, Inler, Dyer, Albrighton, Mahrez, Okazaki, Ulloa, Vardy, Kramaric.
Jose Mourinho has a full squad available when Chelsea travel to Barclays Premier League leaders Leicester on Monday.
John Terry and Ramires returned from injury in the midweek Champions League win over Porto, as the Blues responded from the loss to Bournemouth.
Midfielder Cesc Fabregas was dropped and could miss out again after the improved performance which took Mourinho’s men into the last 16, while striker Radamel Falcao is fit again and could be on the bench.
Provisional squad: Courtois, Begovic, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Zouma, Rahman, Ramires, Oscar, Falcao, Hazard, Mikel, Traore, Kenedy, Pedro, Remy, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry, Blackman, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek, Djilobodji.
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