1 Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo will share penalty-taking duties with Louis Saha. Saha missed one late in the Champions League defeat away to Celtic last week, but Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager, said: “I have left it between them to decide.”
Played 14 Won 11 Drawn 2 Lost 1 For 30 Against 7 Points 35
2 Chelsea Joe Cole is confident that the club can overtake Manchester United by Christmas. “It’s a different challenge chasing and we prefer to be at the front,” the midfield player said. “By Christmas we want to have caught them up.”
Played 14 Won 10 Drawn 2 Lost 2 For 24 Against 8 Points 32
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3 Bolton Wanderers Sam Allardyce, the manager, could be without any recognised full backs for the Premiership match at home to Chelsea tomorrow after Quinton Fortune (ankle) and Nicky Hunt (hamstring) picked up injuries against Arsenal on Saturday.
Played 14 Won 7 Drawn 3 Lost 4 For 15 Against 13 Points 24
4 Portsmouth Harry Redknapp is considering recalling Andy Griffin, the defender, from his loan at Stoke City to cover the absences of Dejan Stefanovic (knee injury) and Matthew Taylor (back) for the match away to Liverpool tomorrow.
Played 14 Won 7 Drawn 2 Lost 5 For 19 Against 12 Points 23
5 Aston Villa JLloyd Samuel has been attracting interest from Middlesbrough and Portsmouth. The defender is close to full fitness after recovering from the torn thigh muscle he suffered in the 2-1 victory at home to Reading in August.
Played 14 Won 5 Drawn 8 Lost 1 For 16 Against 10 Points 23
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6 Arsenal Francesc Fàbregas has called on the club’s fans to give the team more vocal backing at home. “It is true that sometimes when we are 1-0 down, everyone can do more — we can do more on the pitch and they can do more outside,” he said.
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7 Reading Glen Little could be fit for the match at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. The midfield player went off with a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win away to Fulham on Saturday. “When you’re on a roll, you are desperate to keep playing,” he said.
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Played 14 Won 7 Drawn 1 Lost 6 For 16 Against 18 Points 22
8 Everton David Moyes, the manager, has recalled John Ruddy, the goalkeeper, from a loan spell with Stockport County for the match away to Manchester United tomorrow. With Tim Howard ineligible, Ruddy will provide back-up to Richard Wright.
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9 Liverpool Marco Amelia, the Livorno goalkeeper, has attracted interest as Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, prepares for Jerzy Dudek’s likely departure next summer. José Manuel Reina and Scott Carson are also on Liverpool’s books.
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10 Tottenham Hotspur The supporters’ trust claims that the club are looking at alternative ways of allocating tickets for away matches. “It may allow for younger and new supporters who will always be behind in terms of accruing loyalty points,” a trust spokesman said.
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11 Wigan Athletic Paul Jewell has played down the claims of Dave Whelan, the chairman, that he has a job for life at the JJB Stadium. “I enjoy my job and the relationship I have with the chairman, but you shouldn’t look too far ahead,” the manager said.
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12 Fulham Philippe Christanval could start in defence at home to Arsenal tomorrow after Franck Queudrue was ruled out for up to a month with a gashed ankle. Ian Pearce will be missing through suspension after being sent off in the 1-0 defeat by Reading.
Played 14 Won 4 Drawn 5 Lost 5 For 14 Against 20 Points 17
13 Middlesbrough Matthew Bates, the defender, had scans yesterday on a suspected medial ligament problem. The centre half, 19, suffered the injury while playing for Ipswich Town, where he is due to be on loan until January, against Barnsley on Saturday.
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14 Manchester City Stuart Pearce, the manager, is understood to be monitoring Billy Sharp, Scunthorpe United’s prolific 20-year-old forward. Sharp, who has scored 16 goals this season, impressed against City in an FA Cup third-round tie last season.
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15 West Ham United Danny Gabbidon may be out for four weeks after the defender injured a hamstring during the 1-0 win over Shef-field United. “His recovery won’t be rushed and he is responding well to treatment,” Steve Allen, the head physiotherapist, said.
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16 Blackburn Rovers Aaron Mokoena is close to signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2009. The South Africa midfield player moved to Ewood Park for £300,000 from Genk, the Belgium club, in January 2005.
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17 Newcastle United Antoine Sibierski has thanked Glenn Roeder, the manager, for showing him the sort of “trust” denied to him at Manchester City last season. “Stuart Pearce is in the past for me,” the France midfield player, who scored against Portsmouth, said.
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18 Sheffield United Danny Webber hopes to overcome a hamstring injury to play against Watford, his former club, tonight. The forward missed the 1-0 defeat away to West Ham United on Saturday. Leigh Bromby may return to the starting lineup.
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19 Watford Adrian Boothroyd believes that the introduction of the transfer window puts clubs with small squads at a disadvantage. “We have only one recognised striker, so the previous system of year-round transfers would be better for us,” the manager said.
Played 13 Won 1 Drawn 6 Lost 6 For 10 Against 19 Points 9
20 Charlton Athletic The club are reported to be the main rivals to Blackburn Rovers in the race to sign Yannis Okkas, the Cyprus forward, from Olympiacos, of Greece. A number of other clubs in the Premiership and abroad are also interested in Okkas.
Played 14 Won 2 Drawn 3 Lost 9 For 10 Against 21 Points 9