Premier League Previews: Five out for Chelsea
Reuters - Friday 14 November 2008, 15:26
LONDON - Brief news before this weekend's
Premier League matches.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has ruled out five players from
Chelsea's clash with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho are both still injured while Alex,
Juliano Belletti and Franco Di Santo all picked up knocks in the
League Cup defeat by Burnley on Wednesday.
Michael Ballack is expected to be included in the squad.
Wayne Rooney has been laid low with a chest infection and
could be a doubt for Manchester United's home match against
Stoke City on Saturday.
"Wayne Rooney had a bit of a chest infection and he's been
off this week," manager Alex Ferguson said. "But hopefully he'll
be alright for tomorrow."
Polish keeper Lukasz Fabianski could get another outing
for Arsenal as first choice Manuel Almunia faces a late fitness
test for Saturday's home match against Aston Villa.
Almunia sustained a head injury late on in Arsenal's defeat
of Manchester United last week when Fabianski came on for the
final 10 minutes. The Spaniard is in the squad.
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor is also included in the squad
after recovering from an ankle injury, while fellow frontman
Robin van Persie is still suspended.
Villa are hopeful that Norwegian striker John Carew will
play after he missed last weekend's defeat by Middlesbrough with
a hip problem. Villa go to the Emirates after consecutive league
defeats dented their top-four aspirations.
Fernando Torres will start his first league game for
Liverpool in more than a month against Bolton Wanderers in
Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
The Spaniard, who injured his hamstring on international
duty, started against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup defeat
on Wednesday, playing for 60 minutes with no ill effects.
Blackburn Rovers will be without striker Benni McCarthy
against Sunderland at Ewood Park on Saturday after he
flew back to South Africa following a family bereavement.
Roque Santa Cruz could start, however, after he came off the
bench to score against Sunderland in the League Cup victory on
Wednesday.
West Ham United are trying to reverse a terrible slump in
form and will be boosted by the return of striker Carlton Cole
from a three-match ban when they host Portsmouth on Saturday.
Former England winger Kieron Dyer has also returned to
training after recovering from a double leg fracture sustained
in August 2007.
Manchester City are counting the cost of last week's
defeat by Tottenham Hotspur with both Richard Dunne and Gelson
Fernandes suspended after they were sent off in that game. City
take on high-flying Hull City on Sunday.
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