:: SOCCER ANALYSIS ::

Liverpool v Man Utd

Guess what, Ferguson is tipping reds as league title contenders?  Well, that's nice of him but he sure have a way with words to avoid defeated under his hands than after what happens to last season's finals of the League Cup when they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.

Though the reds are facing injuries but glad that it did not manage to eat into their first team's performance eventhough there are some doubt over Owen's injury if he is 100% fit to play this fixture.

Houllier has a host of selection dilemmas to contend with. He left the likes of Dietmar Hamann, Stephane Henchoz and Salif Diao on the bench in midweek and all could come into contention as fresh replacements against the champions.

Houllier is hoping Michael Owen will have recovered from his ankle injury to be available, and must also decide whether Thursday's unlikely goalscorer Djimi Traore holds his place at left-back having ousted John Arne Riise three games ago.

Let's not forget that the reds has lost to Arsenal and Chelsea similar score line of 1-2 so will this happen again against the mighty red devils?

Manchester United striker Diego Forlan is expected to start against the Reds. The Uruguayan is in a rich vein of form and scored his fourth goal in four games against Rangers.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to keep his place while John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher are also looking to return to the starting line-up. Paul Scholes (groin), Wes Brown (knee) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (knee) are again ruled out of the squad.

Man City v Leicester City

This is one game which I personally feel not been too easy to predict.  Both teams are inconsistent but at Manchester Stadium, of course, Man City will be a better call since Leicester is on a bad run.

Bad news for Leicester is that both central defenders (Frank Sinclair and Gerry Taggart) are out and in search for replacement and that will be good news for Anelka and his rotating striking partner.

Chelsea v Newcastle

I can only see Chelsea improving and gave a brave performance away to Lazio, bringing back 3 points with a 0-4 trashing against the home side.

This will be a great kick off when they take on Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Midfielder Kieron Dyer missed the UEFA Cup clash with FC Basle in midweek as he continued to battle against his hamstring problem, while Jermaine Jenas (back), Andy O'Brien (hip), Alan Shearer (ankle) and Laurent Robert (hamstring) returned from Switzerland with knocks but are expected to be fit.

Lee Bowyer is available again after suspension in midweek, but the game is likely to come too soon for Jonathan Woodgate, who is working his way back to fitness after surgery to repair a hernia.

Wolves v Birmingham

Birmingham has tasted their 2nd defeat this season and sure if never going to be taster than a home lost to Charlton on Monday after dominating the 2nd half with a whole lot of chances only to be served by in form Kelly.  A good defense like Birmingham been able to leak 2 goals to Matt Holland only shows that nothing is impossible and Wolves will be searching for a break through.

I will be expecting defensive play from Birmingham and hit Wolves with a counter attack tactic but Wolves will be struggling to get 3 points as for now, they are just standing outside the relegation zone in 17th position.

Wolves don't score as many as they concede and with a tight Birmingham defense, I will be glad if this game ends a draw or close win for Birmingham.

Arsenal v Tottenham

David Pleat may be lucky to pull off a good one for Spurs during the first 5 matches under his leadership but given that record away embarking his first lost to Bolton will only give him a wake up call when they travel to Highbury.  It is not going to be easy for them when the gunners are on high note and been the only club undefeated in the entire English divisions.  Can the gunners keep that record going, well Real Sociedad did that in the Spanish League with a record of 26 games been undefeated, so why can't the gunners.

Without Kanoute and the departure of Teddy, the Spurs midfield is in total mess and they will struggle once again, having not to score too many goals.

Aston Villa v Middlesbrough

We know that Aston Villa has a bad away record last season but have no doubts in their home form.  With Angel returning to the starting line up, nothing seems to be able to stop him from scoring especially with the likes of Vassell with him leading the line.

Boro has been extremely bad travelers last season but can this be improved this season with a record of 1-2-2 at present.  I am not surprise if they beat Wolves the last round because the game was woeful.  Boro is down with so many injuries and attacking options, I really don't see them scoring against Aston Villa.  Well, a draw is possible.

Bolton v Southampton

Bolton is a club I can't seem to understand.  They have so many good players to keep them out of the relegation zone with the likes of Jardel, Okocha, Pederson, Djorkaeff, Campo... etc, only to see them with a 2-5-4 record.  Well, Bolton do have a morale boost by beating Spurs last week, but Southampton are no push over.

Southampton with an away record of 1-3-1, they may well hold on to the game and get a draw whereas Bolton will be all out to get 3 points since they are more of an attacking minded side.

Charlton v Fulham

Fulham is the club that surprised many as one of the clubs contesting for relegations but not me.  They are full of qualities actually if only they could hold on to Steve Marlet from loaning him to Marseille, they should have enough strength to hold one at least mid table position.

Inconsistency is the only word I can describe Charlton or Middlesbrough, these 2 clubs are moving up and down the chart like nobodies business.  Though they made a good win away to Birmingham but will it be good enough to give them a boost by beating Fulham who trashed Man Utd previously week but gave the last game away to Liverpool.

Anything can happen in this fixture with Fulham having a 3-1-1 away record but with the injuries Charlton is facing, I do have some doubts.

Portsmouth v Leeds United

Portsmouth started off the season well and only happened to shake up along the way in mid table.

Peter Reids is made an offer to be the first manager to be sack by many bookies.  Leeds is right at the bottom of the table with a record of 2-2-7 and guess what, they soon have to let go some of their key players during the opening of January's transfer window to settle the bank's debt.  Looks like there is a lot running the management's mind and should they be relegation contenders.

Bayern 20:45 Lyon 

Bayern Munich was lucky enough to get a draw during the 1st leg but I always knew that playing in Germany is never going to be easy especially with the huge home crowd behind supporting them.  

Mix news for Bayern Munich, Sebastian Deisler has been in scintillating form recently but is likely to be missing with a thigh injury sustained against Schalke, while Owen Hargreaves, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Alexander Zickler are also unavailable. The good news for Hitzfeld is that full-backs Willy Sagnol and Tobias Rau have overcome knocks.

French champions Olympique Lyonnais do have some injury doubts as well.  Elber scored as Lyon defeated OGC Nice 5-0 at the weekend, but coach Paul Le Guen was dismayed to watch three of his key players - Edmilson, Péguy Luyindula and Sidney Govou - limp off. The first two are expected to recover but Govou's ankle problem will almost certainly rule him out along with defender Eric Deflandre, who has a thigh injury.

Celtic 20:45 Anderlecht 

Leaders of the Scotland League is no easy push over and a slip up during the first leg would only encourage them to come back stronger against Anderlecht at home.  This has been much proven since last season's UEFA Cup when they lost the finals to Porto.

Celtic rules at Parkhead with a record of 5-0-0 and a goal difference of 22-1.  It is now 61 games and more than two years since Celtic tasted a home defeat.  O'Neill goes into the Group A encounter without midfield player Alan Thompson, who is still recovering from a calf strain, as well as long-term absentees Paul Lambert and Johan Mjällby. However, Liam Miller has recovered from a slight injury sustained in the 5-0 away win against Kilmarnock FC at the weekend.

Please bear in mind that Anderlecht are also dominant in Scotland with a record of 10-1-0 and with a goal difference of 32-6 but I will still favour Celtic to win this fixture easily.  On the other hand, Anderlecht has to cope with long-term injury victims Goran Lovre, Ki-Hyeon Seol, Lamine Traore and Olivier Doll will be joined in the stands by the suspended De Boeck.

Arsenal 20:45 Dynamo Kyiv

The gunners have almost a full squad to choose from apart from the injured Vieira, Lungberg will be covering his spot.  Arsenal is known for their attacking play and to win is to out score their opponents as we know that the gunners have weak defense but this season, they are doing not too bad at all been the only club in the entire English Divisions to be undefeated with a 8-3-0 record.

FC Dynamo Kyiv will be without versatile defender Yuriy Dmytrulin for an indefinite period as he continues to recover in hospital from a chest injury sustained against Arsenal FC last week but to add positive news for the Arsenal fans is that Dynamo Kyiv has a bad away record of 1-0-9 in the Champions League BUT their domestic form is good with a 9-2-1 record in the Ukrainian Premier League.

The gunners can't afford to loose this match if not they are out of the Champions League that's for sure. 

Internazionale 20:45 Lokomotiv Moskva 

Guess the away defeat during the first leg at Russia is something not going to be erased from their mind been surprisingly lost 3-0.  I strongly believe the Italians will come back and get even with Lokomotiv Moskva, knowing that the Russians performed badly on away trips.

Monaco 20:45 Deportivo 

AS Monaco FC are still clear of Lyon at the top in France but had to work hard for their 4-2 success against Le Mans UC 72. There was also concern before Wednesday's Group C home game against RC Deportivo La Coruña as Spanish striker Fernando Morientes sustained a thigh injury.

Deportivo go into the game without midfield player Victor, forward Alberto Luque and captain Fran.

PSV 20:45 AEK 

PSV Eindhoven captain Mark van Bommel has been ruled out for up to two months following groin surgery.  The problems with Johann Vogel are bigger. He is still not fit and he will be replaced by [André] Ooijer. Dennis Rommedahl is slightly injured. He will probably start on the bench and will be replaced by Ji-Sung Park.  The good news is that PSV strike partners Arjen Robben and Mateja Kezman are both in an upbeat mood after the Matchday 3 win in Greece.

AEK coach Dusan Bajevic has problems to Hiddink. He said: "We have, just like PSV, a long list of injured players. I will be without [Michel] Kreek, [Vassilios] Borbokis, [Mihalis] Kapsis, [Grigorios] Georgatos and [Christos] Maladenis." Kofi Amponsah is also suspended after being dismissed against PSV, and Bajevic is aware that reaching the last 16 will be tough for his team.  Whatever the case is, they have to keep a look out over inform Mateja Kezman, PSV hitman.

Olympiacos 20:45 Galatasaray 

This fixture looks a bit weird but it will be of great help if Turkish supporters are not allowed to travel to support their club against Olympiacos.  Will this give an upper hand to Olympiacos to get 3 points here?

Theofanis Katergiannakis is likely to start in goal for Olympiacos after Slovakian goalkeeper Juraj Bucek was substituted at half-time in the game against Ionikos. 

Galatasaray, meanwhile, will need to find a replacement for the injured Volkan Arslan, while striker Hakan Sükür is also doubtful for the game. 

Real Sociedad draw Juventus

Looks like Real Sociedad is on the run to get 3 points out of Juventus who is hit by a list of injuries.  Juventus squad of six injured players - Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Enzo Maresca and Salvatore Fresi.

I be honest, I am still not backing Real Sociedad to win here with a slight percentage of only 35% because they are not as convincing as last season and Juventus are good in their defense and could hit the spainards hard on a counter attacking tactic.

Man. United 20:45 Rangers  

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes will be out of action for up to four weeks.  Scholes had an operation on Tuesday on both his groins but the condition is not a hernia as first thought but the red devils should have enough strength to fill the gap against Rangers with Nicky Butt or Djemba Djemba as cover.

Rangers manager Alex McLeish fears that Fernando Ricksen will be ruled out of Tuesday night's Champions League match against Manchester United.  The Dutchman was carried off before half time with an ankle injury during his side's 3-1 win over Partick Thistle.

German midfielder Christian Nerlinger is definitely out after suffering a suspected torn calf muscle and he too had to be replaced before the break. 

McLeish, who is already without Ronald de Boer and Steven Thompson, said: "It looks as if we could lose Ricksen - and Nerlinger is definitely out. I will draft in a couple of the Under-21s. 

I don’t see Rangers getting a result at Old Trafford after loosing the opportunity when they have the chance at home during the 1^st leg 0-1 to Man Utd and another point to note is that Alex Ferguson will be celebrating his 17 years in charge of the red devils.

Panathinaikos 20:45 Stuttgart

This is a tough game to call with Panathinaiko going all out for a must win fixture.

Stuttgart, who travels to Athens to face Panathinaikos FC, also had some disappointing news following the 4-1 home win against SC Freiburg, which took them to the top of the Bundesliga. Felix Magath has probably lost defender Marcelo Bordon until after the winter break with a groin injury. The Brazilian is set to have surgery to resolve the problem.

The question for this game is how the Germans fair on away trips though we know that they are strong at home.  A draw game can be possible with the Germans holding back and Panathinaikos heading forward but just hope they are not hit by the Germans counter attacking tactic.

Partizan 20:45 Real Madrid 

Partizan gave a surprise 0-1 lost against Madrid during the 1^st leg and now they have to go all out for a must win fixture to compete for the knock out stages.

Real Madrid do have a full squad to choose from and they are not the sort of team who will sit back and defend.  With the sort of attacking force, I favour Madrid to win this fixture eventhough they don’t look too conveniecing in their away fixtures for the Spanish La Liga.

Porto 20:45 Marseille 

Marseille have a full squad to choose from for this away trip to against Porto but the dragons will have to do without Deco.  Porto midfield player Deco is suspended but Mourinho does not believe the playmaker's absence will overly affect his side, saying: "It is frustrating because he is back near his best, but we have won without him. We have many good midfield players and Dmitri Alenichev and Pedro Mendes are top quality. Our goal is to make our name known around Europe for playing good football, to take six points from these remaining two home games and to take our Champions League fate in our own hands."

FC Porto winger César Peixoto has officially been ruled out for up to five months after having surgery on his left knee. He had been injured in the last Champions League outing against Olympique de Marseille, which Porto won 3-2, but will have to watch Tuesday's Group F return from his hospital bed. For their part, Marseille have a worry over defender Habib Beye.

Besiktas 20:45 Sparta 

Lazio Draw Chelsea 

Finally, S.S. Lazio's Angelo Peruzzi and Jaap Stam will miss Tuesday's Group G engagement with Chelsea FC in Rome. The goalkeeper has a thigh problem, while the defender is sidelined with a muscle strain.

Chelsea is never lack of players and only if they could send in 2 teams for the competition.

Celta 20:45 Ajax 

Club Brugge 20:45 Milan

AC Milan want to make amends against Club Brugge KV in Group H on Tuesday after losing 1-0 at home against the Belgian side last time out. However, Brazilian wingback Serginho and striker Filippo Inzaghi will not figure. Serginho limped out of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Juventus FC with an ankle injury, while Inzaghi was already struggling with a thigh problem. For the visitors, goalkeeper Dany Verlinden is doubtful with an arm injury.

Everton vs Chelsea

Everton have to do without Lee Carsley (knee), Scot Gemmill (thigh), Alessandro Pistone and Steve Watson (hernia operations) plus Niclas Alexandersson (foot) are also out, while goalkeeper Richard Wright will see a specialist on Monday after a recurrence of his knee problem but Kevin Kilbane returns after being cup-tied against Charlton while Tomasz Radzinski is fit and available after making his comeback as a late substitute against Charlton following knee trouble.

It has always been difficult to play against the tough Chelsea side with only Hernan Crespo is still a major fitness doubt for Chelsea but Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, defenders John Terry and Wayne Bridge and midfielders Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard all look set to return while skipper Marcel Desailly could be among the substitutes after six games out through injury. Emmanuel Petit, however, needs surgery for his knee problem and faces an extended absence.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Everton 1-3 Chelsea
7 December - Ref: Eddie Wolstenholme
Everton scorer: Naysmith 43
Chelsea scorers: Stanic 5, Hasselbaink 28, Gronkjaer 90
Sent Off: Unsworth (Everton) 90

Leeds vs Arsenal

I will go ahead with the gunners for this and they should be glad that their suspension on the 5 players are not taken immediate effect and this can be a morale boost for them, giving them the opportunity to get as many points as they can.  They are the only club in the entire English divisions that have not been defeated as yet but I don't see them loosing as yet against the struggling Leeds.  In terms of quality, Leeds are still far from it and looks like the banks are starting to knock on their doors asking for payment over 50 million pounds.  Guess, Viduka and Smith will have to go during the January transfer window opens.

The gunners have almost a full squad to choose from other than Vieira with thigh issue but the return of Lungberg will be an asset to them.  On top of that, all 11 1st team players got a full week rest not involving in mid week's League Cup but Leeds on the other hand played with their full squad but yet lost to Man Utd with only 2 days rest with Skipper Dominic Matteo is definitely out with a thigh injury, although Mark Viduka (back) and Salomon Olembe (dead leg) but might play.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Leeds United 1-4 Arsenal
28 September 2002 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Leeds scorer: Kewell 84
Arsenal scorers: Kanu 9, 86, Toure 20, Henry 47
Sent Off:

Man Utd vs Portsmouth

The red devils made a huge mistake failing to get all 3 points against Fulham and headed the other way giving 3 points to the opposition winning 1-3.  Guess fielding an under strength squad is not a good idea afterall so I don't see Alex Ferguson will repeat his mistakes again but 1 bad news is that Scholes is out so I should see Nikcy Butt coming in to replace him?

Portsmouth as shocked with a 3-0 defeat by Newcastle last week but manage to get into winning again in midweek winning 4-2 at Nottingham Forest.  Harry Redknapp can't remember if Manchester Unitd ever lost two in a row. Surely there aren't any.

Can this fixture be a home banker but not forgetting that Man Utd did lost 2 away fixtures in a row last season?

HEAD TO HEAD at Manchester U
League: Man United 13 wins, Portsmouth 6, Draws 3
Prem: Man United 0 wins, Portsmouth 0, Draws 0

Middlesbrough vs Wolves

Wolves pull of a shocked win over Leicester, having been 3 goals down in first half and brought back life with a 4-3 over the opposition.  You can say is kelong but Leicester defense was awful but don't think Wolves can get much better luck against Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough defender Chris Riggott is ruled out with an ankle injury. The England Under-21 international picked up the problem in Wednesday night's 2-1 Carling Cup win at Wigan, although he was unlikely to have started the game anyway with the rested Colin Cooper expected to return.

Manger Steve McClaren has no other new problems, although Ugo Ehiogu and Stuart Parnaby (both knee) and David Murphy (foot) remain on the long-term casualty list.

HEAD TO HEAD at Middlesbrough
League: Middlesbro 23 wins, Wolves 4, Draws 12
Prem: Middlesbro 0 wins, Wolves 0, Draws 0

Newcastle vs Aston Villa

We all know that Aston Villa has a lousy away forum for the past 3 season and this season looks pretty similar with an away record of 0-1-4.  We also know that Newcastle are very strong at home so a home win can be possible here from the way I see it on papers.

Villa manager David O'Leary will check on the fitness of skipper Olof Mellberg and striker Darius Vassell before finalising his side.  Mellberg and Vassell both collected leg muscle injuries in the single goal Carling Cup success over Leicester City in mid-week.  Striker turned central defender Dion Dublin and Marcus Allback will be on stand-by to replace them if they are unfit.  Thomas Hitzlsperger, who scored the winner as a substitute against the Foxes, must wait to see if he has done enough to earn a place in the starting XI. Midfielder Lee Hendrie is still sidelined with a calf problem.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa
21 April 2003 - Ref: Jeff Winter
Newcastle scorer: Solano 37
Villa scorer: Dublin 69

Southampton vs Man City

Good news for Southampton that Kevin Phillips is back in the starting line up with James Beattie.  Antti Niemi's groin strain means Paul Jones is poised to line up in goal, just three weeks after he announced plans to quit the club.  Strachan hopes midfield pair Rory Delap and Chris Marsden will shake off their respective calf and hamstring injuries.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Southampton 2-0 Manchester City
5 October 2002 - Ref: Matt Messias
South'mptn scorers: Ormerod 2, 43
Sent Off: Pahars (Sth'mptn) 85

Tottenham vs Bolton

I have no opinions on this match because results could turn either way when both clubs are playing lousy football with the sort of players they are having.

Bolton has been perfoming badly in away trips with a record of 0-2-3 this season but on the other hand, David Pleat, care taker of Spurs, has not lost a match after taking over from Glenn.

Allardyce will have to field a makeshift back four at White Hart Lane.  Emerson Thome has joined Florent Laville on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury in midweek.  Bruno N'Gotty looked likely to partner Simon Charlton with either Anthony Barness or Nicky Hunt coming in at right-back.

Tottenham defender Christian Ziege is back on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in Wednesday's Carling Cup victory over West Ham - the German's first start this year following a thigh problem.  Pleat will replace Ziege with Mauricio Taricco, provided the Argentine has recovered from the groin strain he suffered against Middlesbrough last Sunday.  Also back in contention will be Dean Richards, Darren Anderton and Gus Poyet, who were rested against West Ham, while Frederic Kanoute, Simon Davies and skipper Jamie Redknapp remain the longer-term absentees.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Bolton Wanderers
20 October 2002 - Ref: Paul Durkin
Spurs scorers: Keane 58, 74, Davies 90
Bolton scorer: Djorkaeff 63

Charlton vs Arsenal

Arsene Wenger warned his Arsenal side not to allow their Champions League setback in Kiev to 'infect' their title chances as he urged them to produce an immediate response at Charlton. Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday night, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the group, with their qualifying chances fading away BUT they put up a good fight coming back 1-1 only to loose another goal due to poor goalkeeping by Lehmann.

I do favour Arsenal to win this fixture after having to see Man Utd slip up at home to Fulham but a draw can also be possible for the gunners since Chalton has been in form of late.  The gunners will be nevertheless be without Patrick Vieira, who suffered a recurrence of a thigh injury that left Wenger regretting the decision to use him as a second-half substitute in Kiev, as well as Martin Keown.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Arsenal
14 September 2002 - Ref: Steve Dunn
Arsenal scorers: Henry 44, Wiltord 67, Edu 88

Tottenham vs Middlesbrough

Spurs has been doing very well under David Pleat's management and looks likely he may be given the manager's job but still they have yet another game to handle which is to home Boro.

Finally, Spurs has an almost full squad to choose from with  Anthony Gardner is set to return to for Tottenham after suspension and the best news of all Christian Ziege is in the squad for the first time this season following a long-term thigh injury but leading scorer Fredi Kanoute (ankle) is out.

Middlesbrough is lying bottom table at 19th position and they will be all out struggling the points needed to come out of the relegaion zone.

Middlesbrough's record signing Massimo Maccarone could make his first start of the season after an ankle injury.

Ugo Ehiogu, Stuart Parnaby and Joseph-Desire Job (all knee) and David Murphy and Allan Johnston (both foot) remain on the casualty list.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Middlesbrough
28 September 2002 - Ref: Graham Poll
Middlesbro scorers: Maccarone 33, Geremi 55, Job 58

Bolton v Birmingham  

Bolton seems to be repeating another struggling season lying 16 on the table.  With players like Jardel, Mandy, Djorkaeff… etc, is hard to see them leave up the standard they should be providing.  Two-time Golden Boot winner Mario Jardel could make his first start in the Premiership for Bolton but midfielder Per Frandsen (stomach) and forward Youri Djorkaeff (calf) are both doubtful.  

Now they faced a tough task against 1 of the best defense in the premier league, Birmingham.  The blues only lost was at Old Trafford against Man Utd, holding a good away record of 2-1-1.  Good news that Maik Taylor is set to replace Ian Bennett in goal for Birmingham after serving a one-match suspension for his sending-off against Manchester United.  Robbie Savage's Achilles problem has flared up again and full-back Damien Johnson is struggling to overcome a hamstring injury.  

Bolton is an all out attacking team against the Blue’s counter-attacking style.  The outcome of the game could go either way and a draw can also be possible.  

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Bolton Wanderers 4-2 Birmingham City
1 February 2003 - Ref: Dermot Gallagher
Bolton scorers: Cunningham 12 og, Pedersen 46, Djorkaeff 84, Facey 87
Birm'gham scorers: Savage 44, Morrison 60  

Aston Villa v Everton  

David O'Leary's side have been pretty decent at home this season with a 2-2-0 home record but only to be shocked to find out that Aston Villa has been bad in away fixtures for the past years.  Peter Whittingham is set to return to the Aston Villa starting line-up after being on the bench against Birmingham as Lee Hendrie has a calf injury.   Darius Vassell is likely to be pushed up front alongside Juan Pablo Angel.  

Everton has not been themselves as compared to last season.  It was indeed a bad start for Moyes’s team and to further add to their disadvantage is that they have a bad away from of 0-1-3 this season.  Wayne Rooney returns to Everton's squad after suspension, while Tomasz Radzinski and Duncan Ferguson could be in contention after recovering from injury.  Defender Alan Stubbs is expected to be fit, as is goalkeeper Richard Wright, who played a full reserve match in midweek - but James McFadden is doubtful with a foot injury.  

I favor Aston Villa to come close a win here.  

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Aston Villa 3-2 Everton
22 September 2003 - Ref: Jeff Winter
Villa scorers: Hendrie 7, 48, Dublin 85
Everton scorers: Radzinski 51, Campbell 66  

Man Utd v Fulham  

This is a 1 way game isn’t it the red devils managed to get a struggling win against Rangers over midweek’s Champions League.  That will be a morale boost for them and prepare themselves for this weekend’s fixture against Fulham.  Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson may play a more attacking side after the mid-week win at Rangers.   Cristiano Ronaldo or Darren Fletcher could return to the flanks after being on the bench at Ibrox.  

Fulham surprised many this seasons and having to reach the 4^th spot at 1 point of this season.  Now they are lying 6^th and many would have thought they would be one of the clubs struggling in the relegation zone.  Well, recently they are having some back luck over their last 2 matches.  They only managed to get a draw against Wolves and a lost to Newcastle in both home fixtures.  Now they find themselves traveling to Old Trafford with disappointments performance within them.  Fulham striker Luis Boa Morte is back after a hamstring injury. Sean Davis, who is on the transfer list, is fit and available after his knee injury. But Facundo Sava (shoulder) could be out for a month.  

I don’t see them getting a result against one of the best clubs in England that’s for sure.  

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Manchester United 3-0 Fulham
22 March 2003 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Man Utd scorers: Van Nistelrooy 45 pen, 68, 90  

Newcastle v Portsmouth  

Similar to last season, Newcastle kick off their campaign with a bad start but now, they are at their turning point and victories over Southampton (h), Middlesbrough (a) and Fulham (a) put them up to 10^th in the league table.  

As for Portsmouth, they did kick off the season quite well as compared to the other 2 newly promoted teams but personally I feel that they are rather inconsistent and with this trip to St. James Park are never going to be easy.  Portsmouth are set to be unchanged, with winger Steve Stone reacting well to treatment for a back problem and goalkeeper Shaka Hislop coping with a groin strain.   Centre back Dejan Stefanovic is back in training after an ankle injury.  

Last season, Newcastle has been fantastic home record of 15-2-2 and I will go for the magpies for this one.  

HEAD TO HEAD at Newcastle
League: Newcastle 23 wins, Portsmth 19, Draws 12
Prem: Newcastle 0 wins, Portsmth 0, Draws 0  

Southampton v Blackburn  

Graeme Souness’s Blackburn Roves has problems after four defeats at home and traveling to St. Marys stadium never going to be an easy victory.  Lucas Neill is set to return for Blackburn after suspension and a bout of pneumonia.  Dwight Yorke is also back in the squad after being dropped for the defeat against Charlton.  

Southampton only suffered 2 losses at home last season and with a 2-1-1 record this season, Blackburn will be lucky if they could achieve a point here.  Graeme Le Saux and Chris Marsden are back in contention for Southampton as Gordon Strachan's side bid for their first win for six games.   Brett Ormerod continues alongside James Beattie in attack with Kevin Phillips (suspended) still out.  

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Southampton 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
9 November 2002 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Sth'mpton scorer: Beattie 38 pen
Blkburn scorer: Cole 90
Sent Off: Tugay (Blackburn) 76  

Wolverhampton v Leicester  

The relegation battle and both teams are struggling to keep their pace to compete with the bigger clubs and I won’t be surprise if they will be heading back to division 1.  

Wolves skipper Paul Ince is a major doubt, having been laid low by a chest infection, and Jones said: "He has been off all week. We will have a look at him but I have got to say he is doubtful."  

Steffen Iversen returns to the squad after recovering from a calf strain but fellow strikers Dean Sturridge (hamstring) and George Ndah (knee) suffered setbacks in their recovery programmes.  

Leicester skipper Matt Elliott is pushing hard for a recall, having completed another 90 minutes in midweek for the reserves after nearly two months out of action with a broken bone in his foot.  

The former Scotland international will be vying with Gerry Taggart and Frank Sinclair for a place in the centre of defence.  

Ben Thatcher has not recovered fully from a bout of pneumonia, although he was able to complete 75 minutes for the reserves in his comeback match.  

HEAD TO HEAD at Wolverhampton
League: Wolves 22 wins, Leicester 10, Draws 13
Prem: Wolves 0 wins, Leicester 0, Draws 0  

Liverpool v Leeds  

The reds have not been too bright lately with 3 defeats and I don’t think they want to make this forth.  With troubles over key injuries and the past 2 matches without Owen, they seem to lost their scoring touch and I don’t think keeping Heskey in the club is a good idea either.  Owen may still be doubtful but Houllier has Danny Murphy and Bruno Cheyrou in contention again after ankle and back injuries respectively, although Salif Diao is still suspended.  

Leeds United go into this Saturday lunchtime kick-off standing just three places and three points above bottom placed Leicester, having lost four of their last five Premiership games.  With management issues, financial problems and players’ stability, I fear that they are heading for their next defeat at Anfield.  Lucas Radebe (Achilles), Jason Wilcox (ankle) and Nick Barmby (groin) are doubtful for Leeds, while Ian Harte completes a three-game suspension.  Jody Morris is still suspended as a suspect for 2 sexsual assault case.  

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Liverpool 3-1 Leeds United
23 March 2003 - Ref: Andy D'Urso
Liverpool scorers: Owen 12, Murphy 20, Gerrard 73
Leeds scorers: Viduka 44  

Chelsea v Man City  

Though they might have lost to the gunners but Chelsea still proved their worth after beating Lazio in midweek’s Champions League.  

Been known as the 2^nd Real Madrid, with their all star players, it will be hard to see Man City get anything out of this game and furthermore, Man City has been conceding goals only to say that they have a weak defense but given the players Chelsea has at the back is not too smart either.  

Though Chelsea can score with the likes of Mutu and Crespo but they are conceding as well.  They can’t seem to figure out what is actually wrong with it given the big names they have like Gallas, Terry, Desailly… etc.  They will just have to watch out for Nicolas Anelka is leading the race for the Barclaycard Golden Boot jointly with Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy. They've both scored eight Premiership goals. Anelka has netted eleven in all, of which five have come from the penalty spot.

Chelsea striker Herman Crespo faces a late fitness test on a groin strain, while Juan Sebastian Veron is expected to start after returning against Lazio. Marcel Desailly (back) and Emmanuel Petit (knee) are both back in full training, but are unlikely to play.  

Paulo Wanchope is pushing for a place in Manchester City's starting line-up to replace Robbie Fowler.  Eyal Berkovic has been left out to aid recovery from his ankle injury while Nicky Weaver (knee) is unavailable.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Chelsea 5-0 Manchester City
22 March 2003 - Ref: Phil Dowd
Chelsea scorers: Hasselbaink 37, Terry 43, Stanic 58, Lampard 69, Gallas 79
Sent Off: Jihai (Man City) 90

AC Milan vs. Club Brugge

AC Milan has a fantastic spell this season, having not beaten at San Siro but also on the run to compete for the title in Serie A with Juventus and Roma.  They have not lost a game in this season Champions League and this fixture against Brugge will be of no acceptation.

Though the Italian giants are without Genera Gatos available due to suspension and Georgian defender Kakha Kaladze who is still recovering from a thigh injury but with Portuguese international Manuel Rui Costa and Brazilian youngster Kaka will probably play in support of attacking duo Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko, this attacking force is not easy to reckon with.

Brugge will be heading to the San Siro with a defensive approach with a 5 man defense.

Personally, I never believe that defending or holding back is the best tactic to prevent opponents from scoring.  Guess they will be in for trouble against the in form Inzaghi and Shevchenko.

Ajax vs. Celta Vigo

Holland league leaders will be facing the aggressive side of the Spaniards.

Ajax on the other hand will have Jari Litmanen back for selection,

Chelsea vs. Lazio

Chelsea is a club which I described as unpredictable.  They look strong with the millions they spends on players but still could not deliver the standard.  Well, many says that they need time to build that which I agree to a certain extend but I still feel that they should change the manager because with the players he kept changing on the field only to make me feel that he is trying to satisfy everyone instead of picking his best 11 and build their team work / partnership.

Anyway, they will be without skipper Marcel Desailly (ankle) and Emmanuel Petit (knee), but John Terry will return to the heart of defense and captain the team against Lazio.  Most likely Veron and Crespo will start.

Marselle vs. Porto

Rangers vs. Man Utd

Real Madrid vs. Partizan Belgrade

This is a 1 way ticket match and I don't see Partizan bringing any sovenirs back home.

Real Madrid is tipped to be the Champions for this season but is not what I am expectiong though.  Juventus and AC Milan can pose a thread to them and is a hard wall for Real Madrid to crack even with their star players or inclusion of David Bechkam in their squad.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz insists he will not be resting any players in Wednesday`s Champions League clash with Partizan Belgrade and will be all out to get 3 points.

However, Partizan coach Lothar Matthaus has doubts over defenders Milivoje Cirkovic and Taribo West for the daunting trip to Madrid.  Ivica Iliev will lead the Partizan line but Andrija Delibasic is ruled out through suspension followng his red card in the 3-0 Group F defeat to Marseille.

Sparta  vs. Besiktas

Stuttgart vs. Panathinaikos

Lokomotiv vs. Inter Milan

The Nerazzurri do at least have the weight of tradition on their side, with Italian teams unbeaten on Russian soil in 12 UEFA club competition matches.

The lost of coach Cuper would have surprised many but with only 2 games won in the Italian Serie A is not what the Director of Inter Milan has in mind.  Caretaker Alberto Zaccheroni's accession on Wednesday, but despite the uncertain backdrop to this match, the Italian side enter the Luzhniki Olympic stadium as group leaders.  Not to say that Alberto Zaccheroni did a good job in Inter's youth squad.

Inter have no new injuries worries, with midfield players Andy van der Meyde, Sabri Lamouchi and Luciano still absent, and defender Marco Materazzi struggling to be fit.

AEK Athens vs. PSV

The one previous meeting of these sides came in the second round of the 1992/93 Champions League, where PSV progressed to the group stage by following a 1-0 defeat in Athens with a 3-0 home victory. Further progress this time seems a long way off at present for PSV and Hiddink said: "This is our last chance to show what we can do and see if we can progress."

PSV, who are without injured captain Mark van Bommel, should field the same side beaten by Deportivo a fortnight ago.

This will be a decisive match with both teams needing the points to survive the group stage.

Anderleclt vs. Celtic 

Anderlcilt do have injury issues when they entertain Celtic.  With Olivier Doll and Ki-Hyeon Seol sidelined, Broos could also be without central defenders Hannu Tihinen and Glen De Boeck through injury.

Celtic do have their own problems missing such names as Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Stanislav Varga as well as Johan Mjällby and Joos Valgaeren.

Depotivo vs. Monaco

Depotivo is on a high note and having to sit 2nd in the La Liga table is never going to be easy.  Deportivo go into the game on the back of a morale boosting 2-0 win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp last weekend.

Monaco is top of the French league table and Morientes knew their rivals to well during his spell at Real Madrid.

This will be a hard game to crack and a draw can be possible.

Dynamo Kiew vs. Arsenal

The gunners after putting up a good fight against Lokomotiv Moscow only to find themselves yet another away fixture and this time against the Ukarine side.  Good news for the gunners that Vieira may be back to the starting 11 replacing Edu who played in the 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.  Bergkamp did not travel with the team and only to say that Wiltord and Henry will be upfront leading the team.

As for Dynamo Kiew, Mykhailychenko hopes both striker Diogo Rincón - scorer of two goals in two games so far - and midfield player Georgi Peev will have recovered from injuries in time to play.

History does not favor Arsenal when the last time both met, the gunners lost 3-1 away to Dynamo Kiew.

Galatasary vs. Olympiakos

Both without a win, lying at the bottom 2 spot of the table will be all out to find the points they need in this fixture.

Galatasary do have the home advantage but they are hammered by injuries.  Home coach Fatih Terim has to contend with the suspension of Hasan Sas and injuries that rule out striker Ümit Karan, midfield player Volkan Arslan and, as appears likely, defender Orhan Ak.

However, Frank de Boer should be fit, while Cihan Haspolatli and Hakan Sükür are also expected to shrug off injuries sustained at the weekend, in a 1-0 victory against Rizespor that kept Galatasaray third in the Turkish Super League.

Juventus vs. Real Sociedad

A home win will be a fair result here and I am expecting another Italian clash in the semis yet another season.  The Turin giants top Serie A.

Real Sociedad has yet gain UEFA Championship experience and with their last lost in the weekend to Albacete, doesn't seem to favour them much to get points in Turin and they have not been performing as good compared to last season.

Juventus do have their defensive strength and a 1 goal win will be a fair result.

Lyon vs Munich

This will be a hard fought game especially for the home side.  Elber has been sold to Lyon after Bayern Munich decided to bring on Roy Maakay to replace him.  Both have been helping in scoring goals for the club but history does not favour Munich to win this match.  The last time they met in year 2001/2002, Munich lost 3 goals to Lyon and now they travel with a depleted squad against the home side.

Mehmet Scholl, Tobias Rau, Willy Sagnol and Owen Hargreaves are injured, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Markus Feulner ill and Claudio Pizarro suspended. Argentinian defender Martin Demichelis is also doubtful with an ankle injury but goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and recent injury victims Sebastian Deisler and Jens Jeremies are avaliable.  Not forgetting that Michael Ballack is in the squad and can this play maker makes the difference.

Lyon will have a full squad to choose from and they will be all out for this one, searching for point to survive in this league.

Birmingham vs. Aston Villa

Birmingham no doubt has one of the best defense in the premier league this season before been hammered 3-0 by the red devils.  With the holding back 4 and Taylor between post, nothing seems to be able to score against them but the good news for Aston Villa is that Taylor will start his 1 match suspension which means Ian Bennett will take over his place.  I have never find Bennett a good goalkeeper especially against the in-form Angel and Vassell up front.

Well Aston Villa's issue is that they are bad travelers.

Both teams do have an almost full squad to choose from.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Birmingham City 3-0 Aston Villa
16 September 2002 - Ref: David Elleray
Birmingham scorers: Morrison 31, Enckelman 77 og, Horsfield 83

__________

Leicester vs. Tottenham

David Pleat in no surprise will be eyeing on the managerial post.  For now he is appointed as the care taker for Spurs and under his charged, Spurs has not lost, drawing 1 and winning the other.  Further good news is that their injury issues are clearing and Ziege will be add to the squad.

Leicester has been inconsistent this season and their fair defense may find it hard to stop Robbie Keane and Kanote from scoring against them.  Well, they are boosted by the return of Matt Elliott, Walker and Les Ferdinand.

HEAD TO HEAD at Venue
League: Leicester 16 wins, Spurs 21, Draws 6
Prem: Leicester 5 wins, Spurs 1, Draws 1

__________

Everton vs. Southampton

Goodison Park has never made life easy for clubs traveling there and Southampton will face the same issue.

Failing in their first UEFA Cup lost to Steaua B'rest in the 2nd leg was a bad result and with 3 days of rest, they find themselves yet another tough away fixture against Everton.  Kevin Phillips is banned, but Graeme Le Saux is doubtful with a hamstring injury.  Neil McCann and Chris Marsden are still struggling and Darren Kenton is out.

These will be great news to Everton who will be without suspended Rooney but they are no lacked of strikers.  Kevin Campbell could make his first appearance of the season for Everton and Francis Jeffers may figure in this match.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Everton 2-1 Southampton
22 February 2003 - Ref: David Elleray
Everton scorers: Radzinski 83, 90
South'mpton scorer: Beattie 33

Leeds vs. Man Utd

Leeds is facing lots of problems with management, debts and now rape case.  Jody Morris is suspended by Leeds due to the fact that he is a suspect in a rape case of a 17 year old girl.  I do not know how much all these are going to affect the team but is definately not easy for Peter Reids to face all these incidents and same goes with the players.

A high profile club like Man Utd will surely take advantage of all these incidents that Leeds is encounting and make it to their advantage.  To take note that Leeds do upset Man Utd at times but hopefully not this season with the problems they are facing.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Leeds United 1-0 Manchester United
14 September 2002 - Ref: Jeff Winter
Leeds scorer: Kewell 67

__________

Arsenal vs. Chelsea

I hope an Arsenal win here because Chelsea don't seem to be able to be the gunners at highbury for a long time but Vieira is suspended and this may cause damage in gunners midfield with probably Edu or Ray Palour to cover the defensive spot.

Then again, pressure is off the gunners since they have confessed to their wrongs of what happened in Old Trafford. They will be all out to get the points they need before having to play with a depleted squad with all the injuries and suspensions ahead of them.

Chelsea on the other hand has a full squad to choose from apart from Macho, Petit, Gallas, Babayaro and I am not surprise about that but with high profile defenders like Chelsea, they are still conceding goals at the back.

I am expecting a high scoring game especially the gunners attacking style of play.  Chelsea may regret it for not getting the points they need in midweek.  Can Arsenal provide Chelsea's first defeat?

I like 1 part when Henry quoted:" I am a striker, the defenders should be worry about me and not the other way round".  Cool statement.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Arsenal 3-2 Chelsea
1 January 2003 - Ref: Uriah Rennie
Arsenal scorers: Desailly 9 og, van Bronckhorst 81, Henry 82
Chelsea scorers: Stanic 85, Petit 86

__________

Fulham vs. Wolves

This will be a banker bet for the week.  Fulham has always been strong at home and this season was a good start for them, lying comfortably at 5th spot.

Wolves on the other end of the table don't seem to be ready for top flight and they seem to be lacking in strenght and pace to compete with the rest of the premiership teams.

Talking about pace, Fulham has a team full of these players and with the likes of Boa Morte and Saha, their fast attacking style will be too much for Wolves defence. 

HEAD TO HEAD at Fulham
League: Fulham 14 wins, Wolves 11, Draws 7
Prem: Fulham 0 wins, Wolves 0, Draws 0

__________

Man City vs. Bolton

Sounding out loud as title contenders this season, Man City is under achieving to reach that level to my point of view.  With a weak defence like them, don't think they will go beyond 4th spot in this season EPL League but with Steve Mcmanaman's contributution, he is an asset to the squad.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Manchester City 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
30 November 2002 - Ref: Jeff Winter
Man City scorers: Howey 25, Berkovic 56

__________

Middlesbrough vs. Newcastle

Boro did not start the season too well but nothing can be compared to Newcastle, surprising lying 18th in the league table.

Newcastle is piss with Wales for having Bellamy injured again and it has been a heated issue between both club and country.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Middlesbrough 1-0 Newcastle United
5 March 2003 - Ref: Andy D'Urso
Middlesbro scorers: Geremi 62

(3) Scotland Draw Lithuania (4)

Scotland will be without Andy Gray as a replacement for injured striker Paul Dickov.  Winger Neil McCann's absence has also been confirmed.  Paul Devlin who has withdrawn from the squad.

(1) Germany Draw Iceland (2) (This game may draw)

Tryggvi Gudmundsson and Gylfi Einarsson are out of Iceland's squad

(1) Sweden Draw Latvia (2)

(3) Hungary Draw Poland (4)

Hungary could be deprived of defenders Csaba Fehér and Zsolt Löw in this fixture against Poland whereby both teams have to win.

(3) Austria Draw Czech Republic (1)

The Czech Republic, winners of Group 3, will be without six regulars against Austria. Long-term casualties Tomáš Rosický and Milan Baroš, and the suspended Karel Poborský and Tomáš Ujfaluši, have been joined on the sidelines by two other players. Liverpool forward Vladimír Šmicer has an achilles problem while a thigh muscle injury has ruled out.

(1) Switzerland Draw Republic of Ireland (3)

Switzerland will be without defender Ludovic Magnin but apart from this, they will have a full squad to choose from.

(4) Norway Draw Luxembourg (5)

This fixture may look straight forward, having to say that Luxembourg has not won any games.

Norway will field an under-strength team for their final.  Already missing AS Roma striker John Carew, the injured Ole Gunnar Solskjær and suspended André Bergdølmo,  Aston Villa FC defender Ronny Johnsen is out with a hamstring injury, while Wolverhampton Wanderers FC forward Steffen Iversen is sidelined with a muscle strain. Even more damagingly, there are question marks surrounding the availability of captain Henning Berg, as the Rangers FC defender's wife is due to give birth. 

Luxembourg are missing three important players including captain Manuel Cardoni.  Forward Marcel Christophe, who has missed the last three qualifiers, and midfield player Grégory Molitor are also absent through injury while Claude Reiter and Patrick Lassine have withdrawn from the squad at short notice.

Luxembourg squad
Besic, Gillet, Engeldinger, Federspiel, Hoffmann, Peters, Schauls, Rohmann, Di Domenico, Leweck, Mannon, Remy, Strasser, Braun, Huss, Thimmesch, Hellenbrand.

(3) Bosnia-Herzegovina Draw Denmark (1)

Denmark have question marks against the fitness of midfield player Morten Wieghorst

Bosnia have a full squad to choose from.  Strikers Elvir Bolic and Elvir Baljic are both available for the home side as is the influential midfield player Vedin Music. However, his fellow midfield player, the young Sergej Barbarez, has really captured the public's imagination with his recent dynamic performances.

(1) Greece Draw Northern Ireland (5)

Phil Mulryne and Paul McVeigh have pulled out of Northern Ireland's squad to face Group 6 leaders Greece in Athens because of calf and hamstring injuries respectively. 

(2) Russia Draw Georgia (5)

Georgia have injury issues ahead of  Saturday's UEFA EURO 2004™ Group 10 qualifier against Russia.

Rangers FC striker Shota Arveladze is an injury worry for Georgia coach Merab Zhordania and AC Milan defender Kakha Kaladze is also out.  With midfield players Aleksandr Rekhviashvili and Georgi Gakhokidze also out through suspension, new faces have to be introduced.  Talented Skonto FC midfielder Levan Korgalidze has been called up and could be handed an international debut at the Lokomotiv stadium.

Georgia squad
Lomaia, Gvaramadze, Khizaneishvili, Shashiashvili, Kemoklidze, Khizanishvili, Burduli, Kvirkvelia, Daraselia, Kobiashvili, Tskitishvili, Korgalidze, Jamarauli, Nemsadze, Asatiani, Ashvetia, S Arveladze, Iashvili, Demetradze.

On the other hand, Russia must win to keep their qualification hopes alive and will note the absence of playmaker Georgi Kinkladze from Zhordania's squad.

Russia's Aleksandr Mostovoi is struggling with a shoulder problem and rates his chances of playing as "50-50", although fellow midfield player Aleksei Smertin is back in training after a fitness scare. 

(4) Cyprus 19:30 Slovenia (2)

(2) Wales Draw Serbia and Montenegro (4) (This game may draw)

Wales midfield player Simon Davies will miss their Group 9 qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro with groin and hip injury.  To add on further problem to their squad, Robert Page and Andy Johnson are also out while midfield player Robbie Savage is doubtful because of tendonitis.

Serbia and Montenegro midfield player Dejan Stankovic is out of his country's Group 9 game against Wales in Cardiff. With Serbia and Montenegro already eliminated, the S.S. Lazio player has pulled out of the squad to avoid aggravating a muscle injury.

(2) Turkey Draw England (1)

Hakan Suker and Yakin is out for the Turkish side but no good new for England as well without Owen and Rio Ferdinard.

England squad:
James, Robinson, Walker, G Neville, P Neville, Upson, Campbell, Terry, A Cole, Bridge, Mills, Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Lampard, Dyer, J Cole, Heskey, Owen, Rooney, Beattie, Vassell.

(5) Liechtenstein Draw Slovakia (2)

(2) Croatia Draw Bulgaria (1)

Croatia forward Marijo Maric is likely to miss Saturday's Group 8 qualifier against Bulgaria having injured knee ligaments

The Bulgarians have lost defender Ilian Stoianov to a stomach injury, and Elin Topuzakov is due to deputise.

(3) Belgium Draw Estonia (4)

Coach of Belgium, Anthuenis has several injury worries ahead of the game in Liège. Wing-back Peter Van der Heyden injured his calf during training on Tuesday, a session midfield player Jonathan Walasiak missed because of flu. Oliver Doll has withdrawn after picking up a groin injury.  Belgium, have doubts over full-back Jelle Van Damme, the AFC Ajax defender slipped in a swimming pool and damaged his heel.  With goalkeeper Geert de Vlieger and midfield player Walter Baseggio training separately while they nurse light muscle injuries, preparations have not been ideal

(2) Netherlands Draw Moldova (4)

Netherlands squad
Waterreus, Van der Sar, F de Boer, Stam, Ooijer, Reiziger, Van Bronckhorst, Zenden, Bosvelt, Cocu, Sneijder, Overmars, Robben, Van der Meyde, Van der Vaart, Makaay, Kluivert, Van Hooijdonk.

Italy Draw Azerbaijan (5)

Italy will be missing Christian Panucci for their final qualifier against Azerbaijan

Italy squad
Buffon, Toldo, Cannavaro, Ferrari, Legrottaglie, Nesta, Oddo, Camoranesi, Fiore, Gattuso, Perrotta, Zambrotta, Zanetti, Corradi, Delvecchio, Di Vaio, Inzaghi, Miccoli, Totti, Vieri.

Good news for Italy is that Azerbaijan, will be without their first-choice strike partnership. Farrukh Ismaylov is absent after being involved in a car crash in Baku. The 25-year-old FC Volyn Lutsk forward will be sidelined for two to three weeks with broken ribs. Gurban Gurbanov is also unavailable with a back problem.

(1) France Draw Israel (3)

France will be giving opportunites to some younger experience but will field a strong squad to maintain their winning record.  Injuries to defenders Marcel Desailly, Mikaël Silvestre and Willy Sagnol and suspensions to midfield players Patrick Vieira and Claude Makelele.

(4) Armenia Draw Spain (2)

Armenia will have a full squad to choose from and with the additional of Armenia captain Harutyun Vardanyan back, they are in high hopes to create and upset against Spain in this return fixture.  Armenia lost 3-0 in Spain.

Armenia squad
Berezovski, Hambartsumyan, Hovsepyan, Dokhoyan, Edel Bete, Vardanyan, Bilibio, Artur Mkrtchyan, Zeciu, Voskanyan, Sargsyan, Khachatryan, Artur Petrosyan, Melikyan, Galust Petrosyan, Agvan Mkrtchyan, Aleksanyan, Lombe, Djenebyan, Movsisyan, Hakobyan, Arman Karamyan, Artavazd Karamyan.

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