The English Premier League News

Aston Villa (18) v Stoke (17)
Adama Traore is sidelined for Aston Villa again as he continues to struggle with an ankle injury. The former Barcelona winger played in the under-21s' 1-0 defeat to West Brom on Monday but boss Tim Sherwood admitted the issue was still causing him problems ahead of the visit of Stoke.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is also a major doubt after missing the 3-2 loss at Liverpool on Saturday with a calf injury and Idrissa Gueye continues to have treatment on a hamstring injury although he is expected to feature. Jores Okore (knee) is fit again.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes thinks Xherdan Shaqiri has just a 50-50 chance of being fit. The £12million record signing suffered a thigh injury against Bournemouth and has yet to train this week. The midfielder must train on Friday if he is to be considered for selection at Villa Park.

Defender Marc Wilson looks likely to be absent for a second successive week as he continues to struggle with a calf injury while Hughes hopes captain Ryan Shawcross will return from back surgery at Swansea after the international break.

Last season: Aston Villa 1 Stoke 2, Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1
Last five league matches: Aston Villa L D L L L; Stoke D L L D W
Top scorers (all competitions): Scott Sinclair (Aston Villa) 5; Mame Diouf &Jonathan Walters (Stoke) 3

Bournemouth (16) v Watford (13)
Glenn Murray is set to fill the void left by Callum Wilson's injury. The deadline-day signing from Crystal Palace could be handed his first Cherries start after fellow striker Wilson was ruled out for six months with knee ligament damage.

Wilson joins captain Tommy Elphick, Harry Arter, Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel on the sidelines.

Watford midfielder Valon Behrami is serving the last part of a three-match ban for being sent off against Swansea last month while defender Joel Ekstrand is still sidelined with a knee injury. Summer signings Adlene Guedioura and Victor Ibarbo were on the bench for Sunday's defeat to Crystal Palace and could make first starts for the club.

Last season: Bournemouth 2 Watford 0, Watford 1 Bournemouth 1
Last five league matches: Bournemouth W D L W L; Watford D L W W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) 5; Odion Ighalo (Watford) 4

Chelsea (14) v Southampton (10)
Jose Mourinho refused to say whether captain John Terry would be restored to Chelsea's starting XI. Striker Diego Costa completes his three-match suspension, so Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao could start up front, although neither travelled to Porto for Tuesday night's Champions League loss.

Oscar also stayed behind after not being selected, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is out until December following knee surgery.

Southampton could add Jordy Clasie to their squad for the trip to west London. The Holland midfielder has yet to feature in the league for Saints due to an ankle injury, but he has trained this week and is in contention. Boss Ronald Koeman will otherwise choose from the same squad which beat Swansea 3-1 at St Mary's last weekend.

Last season: Chelsea 1 Southampton 1, Southampton 1 Chelsea 1
Last five league matches: Chelsea W L L W D; Southampton D W D L W
Top scorers (all competitions): Pedro & Willian (Chelsea) 3; Graziano Pelle (Southampton) 6

Crystal Palace (7) v West Brom (15)
Dwight Gayle is set to continue in the Crystal Palace attack as boss Alan Pardew reported no fresh injury problems following the win at Watford. Striker Connor Wickham (rib), midfielder Mile Jedinak (hamstring) and defenders Damien Delaney(groin) and Joel Ward (knee) are all expected to feature again following the international break.

Jonas Olsson (groin), Gareth McAuley (calf) and Salomon Rondon (back) have not trained this week following Monday's 3-2 defeat to Everton and are set to miss out at Selhurst Park. James Chester, who joined the Baggies for a fee rising to £8million from Hull in the summer, is set to return from the start after replacing Olsson in defence when he limped off against the Toffees, while Rickie Lambert could come in for Rondon who also suffered his problem against Everton.

Last season: Crystal Palace 0 West Brom 2, West Brom 2 Crystal Palace 2
Last five league matches: Crystal Palace W W L L W; West Brom L W D W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Dwight Gayle (Crystal Palace) 4; Saido Berahino & James Morrison (West Brom) 2

Manchester City (2) v Newcastle (19)
Manchester City will be without captain Vincent Kompany and key midfielder Yaya Toure. Kompany is not yet fit to return from a calf injury while Toure is still troubled by the hamstring problem which restricted him to 45 minutes at Borussia Monchengladbach in midweek.

On the positive side, defender Eliaquim Mangala has overcome a groin injury and strikers Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho are back in contention but playmaker Samir Nasri (hamstring) is still out. Midfielder Fabian Delph (hamstring) and left-back Gael Clichy (ankle) are long-term absentees.

Newcastle midfielder Jack Colback is a doubt. The former Sunderland man, who shook off a calf problem to start against Chelsea last weekend, is struggling with a hamstring strain. Cheick Tiote, back in training after a knee injury, and Yoan Gouffran are among those standing by.

Winger Gabriel Obertan (hamstring) is out and joins defenders Massadio Haidara (knee), Steven Taylor and Paul Dummett (both hamstring), midfielder Rolando Aarons (calf), and strikers Papiss Cisse (back) and Emmanuel Riviere (knee) on the sidelines.

Last season: Man City 5 Newcastle 0, Newcastle 0 Man City 2
Last five league matches: Man City W W W L L; Newcastle D L L L D
Top scorers (all competitions): Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) 4; Daryl Janmaat & Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) 2 

Norwich (12) v Leicester (8)
Norwich report no fresh injury problems. On-loan winger Matt Jarvis is available again after being ineligible for last weekend's match at parent club West Ham. Striker Gary Hooper (ankle) remains sidelined while midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu also continues his recovery from a fractured metatarsal.

England striker Jamie Vardy will continue to play for Leicester despite two broken bones in his wrist. The striker injured his arm during the 3-2 win over Aston Villa last month but boss Claudio Ranieri has no fears over the 28-year-old's fitness. Swansea loanee Nathan Dyer has returned to training after a knee injury saw him sit out the last three games but he will still be unavailable for the trip to Carrow Road.

Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Norwich D L W D D; Leicester D D W D L
Top scorers (all competitions): Russell Martin & Nathan Redmond (Norwich) 3; Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 6

Sunderland (20) v West Ham (3)
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat does not envisage any fresh injury concerns. He will be tempted to restore striker Jermain Defoe to his starting line-up after leaving the former England man on the bench for last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Defoe has fully recovered from the hamstring problem that dogged him in the build-up to the trip to Old Trafford while Jack Rodwell is also aiming to return from an ankle injury, but Adam Matthews (ankle) remains sidelined.

Andy Carroll could make his first league start in more than eight months. Carroll tore ligaments in his knee in February but came off the bench against Norwich last weekend and is expected to shake off a sore ankle ahead of the game on Wearside.

Angelo Ogbonna (hamstring) and Alex Song (ankle) are both out while Winston Reid is a doubt with a hip problem. Enner Valencia has returned to light training following a knee injury but is short of match fitness.

Last season: West Ham 1 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 West Ham 1
Last five league matches: Sunderland D D L L L; West Ham L W W W D
Top scorers (all competitions): Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) 5; Michail Antonio (West Ham) 4

SUNDAY

Arsenal (4) v Manchester United (1)
Arsenal will be without centre-back Laurent Koscielny (hamstring) but striker Olivier Giroud is in contention after being suspended for the midweek Champions League defeat to Olympiacos.

Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) and captain Mikel Arteta (dead leg) are still not available. Jack Wilshere (fibula), forward Danny Welbeck and Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky (both knee) are also sidelined.

Table-topping Manchester United have Michael Carrick available after he sat out the Champions League win over Wolfsburg on Wednesday due to what was described as a minor injury.

It remains to be seen whether fellow central midfielder Ander Herrera, another absentee on Wednesday, is involved, while manager Louis van Gaal has also said he will consult with a specialist about fatigue in his squad before making his team selection.

Last season: Man Utd 1 Arsenal 1, Arsenal 1 Man Utd 2
Last five league matches: Arsenal D W W L W; Man Utd D L W W W
Top scorers (all competitions): Alexis Sanchez & Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 4; Anthony Martial & Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) 5

Everton (5) v Liverpool (9)
Everton defenders John Stones and Seamus Coleman face late fitness tests ahead of the Merseyside derby. Stones sat out Monday's win at West Brom due to a knee problem, while Coleman has missed three games because of a hamstring complaint.

Toffees midfielder Muhamed Besic, who has also been out for three matches nursing a hamstring injury, is not expected to be available, while winger Kevin Mirallas is still suspended.

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke faces a late assessment on his fitness. The Belgium striker has missed the last three matches with a hamstring injury but manager Brendan Rodgers will make a decision on his return in the next 24 hours.

Rodgers will revert to his strongest line-up, having rested seven players for the Europa League in midweek, with Daniel Sturridge expected to return up front alongside Danny Ings.

Last season: Everton 0 Liverpool 0, Liverpool 1 Everton 1
Last five league matches: Everton L D W D W; Liverpool D L L D W
Top scorers (all competitions): Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 6; Christian Benteke, Danny Ings & Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) 2 

Swansea (11) v Tottenham (6)
Swansea manager Garry Monk could consider changes after seeing his side fail to win any of their last three Premier League games. Jefferson Montero and Eder both came on as second-half substitutes in last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Southampton and could enter the equation with Swansea seeking more firepower in front of goal. Kyle Naughton and Gylfi Sigurdsson are both expected to start against their former club.

Danny Rose is a doubt for Tottenham. The full-back left Thursday's Europa League encounter with Monaco in a sling after sustaining a hand injury that is being assessed by medical staff.

Son Heung-min (foot) and Alex Pritchard (ankle) are absent for the trip to south Wales, but Kyle Walker returns to the fold after being rested on Thursday. Mousa Dembele, Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb are stepping up their returns from injury and may be involved.

Last season: Tottenham 3 Swansea 2, Swansea 1 Tottenham 2
Last five league matches: Swansea D W L D L; Tottenham D D W W W
Top scorers (all competitions): Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea) 4; Heung-Min Son (Tottenham) 3