MANCHESTER UNITED
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Liam Miller, the Ireland midfield player, is desperate to put his forgettable career at Old Trafford behind him after joining Sunderland. “I was very disappointed with the way it worked out at United,” Miller said.
PORTSMOUTH
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Svetoslav Todorov, the Bulgaria forward who joined Wigan Athletic on loan until December, would be welcomed back if the move does not work out. “The door will always be open for Toddy,” Harry Redknapp, the manager, said.
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ASTON VILLA
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Gareth Barry is relishing the prospect of introducing Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano, West Ham United’s new Argentine stars, to the Premiership on Sunday. “Hopefully we can show them what the Premiership is all about,” Barry said.
EVERTON
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James McFadden is expected to miss the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park tomorrow after limping out of Scotland’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania on Wednesday with a pulled hamstring.
CHELSEA
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Didier Drogba believes Michael Essien can establish himself as one of the Premiership’s leading players this season. “Michael had a great World Cup and I’m sure he will play like this for the rest of the season,” the Ivory Coast striker said.
WEST HAM UNITED
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Javier Mascherano believes that he and Carlos Tévez, the forward, will help the team to develop. “West Ham have a strong squad already and we are going to support them as best we can, on and off the pitch,” the midfield player said.
LIVERPOOL
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Dirk Kuyt is relishing the prospect of making his full debut for the club in tomorrow’s derby away to Everton. “These are the games I love to play in,” the former Feyenoord forward said. Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise are doubtful starters.
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BOLTON WANDERERS
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Sam Allardyce has put a £6 million price tag on Tal Ben Haim after interest from Portsmouth. The Israel defender, who is out of contract next summer, has rejected a £20,000-a-week four-year deal to stay at the Reebok Stadium.
MANCHESTER CITY
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Juan Carlos Osorio, the club’s fitness coach, has left to take over as head coach of Millonarios in his native Colombia. Osorio, who had two years remaining on his contract with the club, was brought to England by Kevin Keegan in June 2001.
FULHAM
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Chris Coleman has told Zat Knight that he will have to fight to get his place back. “Zat played a lot last season but we didn’t keep enough clean sheets,” the manager said. “Our defence will stay the same until we have a couple of poor games.”
WIGAN ATHLETIC
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Paul Jewell failed to sign Nathan Ellington and Dean Windass this summer. Bradford City rejected a £500,000 bid for Windass, who Jewell has tried to sign three times, while West Bromwich Albion refused to sell Ellington.
READING
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Kevin Doyle, the Ireland striker, believes that beating Manchester City at the Madejski Stadium on Monday is essential. “We need to get back to winning ways,” he said. “But we have shown that we can compete at this level.”
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NEWCASTLE UNITED
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Shola Ameobi, who has a hip injury, is rated no better than 50/50 for tomorrow’s match at home to Fulham. “If he climbs off the treatment table he will be making a statement as to how much he wants to play,” Glenn Roeder said.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
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Steed Malbranque has had an operation on his hernia that will keep him out for two months. Pascal Chimbonda has a calf injury but should be fit to face Manchester United tomorrow, when Ledley King is expected to return from injury.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC
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Iain Dowie has said that Darren Bent must score more goals against top-class opposition. Only two of the forward’s 22 goals last season came against a side that finished in the top four of the Premiership. Charlton meet Chelsea tomorrow.
MIDDLESBROUGH
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Chris Riggott, the defender who has started the first three Premiership games this season, could miss eight weeks after damaging ankle ligaments in training. “It’s a blow because this is a big season for him,” Gareth Southgate, the manager, said.
ARSENAL
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Emmanuel Eboué is hoping to improve his goalscoring record this season after scoring only once so far in his Arsenal career. “I’ve been working on my shooting and hopefully I’ll get some more chances in front of goal soon,” he said.
WATFORD
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Adrian Boothroyd is delighted that Ashley Young has returned to Vicarage Road fit after making his England Under-21 debut on Wednesday night. The winger came on as a second-half substitute in his side’s 3-2 win away to Switzerland.
SHEFFIELD UNITED
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Nick Montgomery, the midfield player, is likely to be sidelined for six weeks after surgery on a longstanding ankle problem. “It flared up again recently and the surgeon decided to stop the problem permanently,” Neil Warnock, the manager, said.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
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Mark Hughes is backing Jason Roberts to end his goal drought and insists he is not worried that the forward has failed to score in his first three games. “Jason has a proven record at this level and he will score,” the manager said.