Hi guys,

We kick off this week end shortly and with a few hours to before lockout, it is critical to check the injury tables, game previews and best buys in the VS competition.

The news is that Valencia, Zamora and McFadden (injured his knee in training this week) are out for about 5 months, Defoe is out for 3 or so months, Kuyt is out for another month, Bosingwa, Diaby, Vermaelen and Carrick are out for another 2 weeks. Carroll, Lampard, Van Der Vaart and Modic are very doubtful.

More over the break...<!--more-->

With the table below, where no return date is indicated, because of the nature of the injury and the club not making any statements, it is not possible to give an accurate return to training date.

Fulham

R Halliche Groin Strain no return date

F Stoor Groin Strain no return date

B Zamora Broken Leg Feb 11

D Duff Calf Muscle Strain 18th Sep 10

D Stockdale Ankle/Foot Injury 16th Oct 10

D Kamara Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10

P Senderos Achilles Rupture Feb 11

A Johnson Jumpers Knee no return date

Arsenal

V Diaby Ankle/Foot Injury no return date

T Vermaelen Achilles Tendinopathy no return date

T Walcott Ankle/Foot Injury 24th Oct 10

R Van Persie Ankle/Foot Injury 24th Oct 10

E Frimpong ACL Knee Injury May 11

N Bendtner Groin/Pelvis Injury 18th Sep 10

A Ramsey Broken Leg 16th Oct 10

Sunderland

M Turner Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10

F Campbell ACL Knee Injury May 11

J Mensah Hamstring Injury 25th Sep 10 doubtful

A Reid Achilles Tendinopathy 18th Sep 10

G McCartney Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10

C Gordon Arm/Elbow Injury no return date

D Meyler ACL Knee Injury Mar 11

Tottenham Hotspur

R Van Der Vaart Calf Muscle Strain 25th Sep 10 very doubtful

Gomes Groin Strain 25th Sep 10

L Modric Calf/Shin Injury 18th Sep 10

J Defoe High Ankle Sprain Jan 11

M Dawson Knee Injury no return date

J OHara Back Injury no return date

J Woodgate Groin/Pelvis Injury no return date

Newcastle United

A Carroll Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

D Guthrie Knee Injury 18th Sep 10

D Gosling ACL Knee Injury Jan 11

L Best Ankle/Foot Injury no return date

D Simpson Ankle/Foot Injury 26th Sep 10

S Taylor Shoulder Injury 31st Oct 10

West Ham United

D Gabbidon Hamstring Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

A Edgar ACL Knee Injury Mar 11

P Kurucz Knee Injury May 11

T Hitzlsperger Hip/Thigh Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

Z Hines Knee Injury Dec 10

J Collison Knee Injury Jan 11

Birmingham City

J McFadden ACL Knee Injury Feb 11

A Hleb Leg Injury 18th Sep 10

S Larsson Knee Injury no return date

K Phillips Thigh Muscle Strain 25th Sep 10

S Parnaby Hamstring Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

Manchester City

J Lescott Groin Strain no return date

E Adebayor Dead Leg 19th Sep 10

M Balotelli Knee Injury 24th Oct 10

J Boateng Knee Injury 19th Sep 10

A Kolarov Ankle/Foot Injury no return date

Blackpool

A Baptiste Hand Injury 19th Sep 10

P Rachubka Knee Injury 19th Sep 10

L Almond Shoulder Injury 23rd Oct 10

B Clarke ACL Knee Injury May 11

Bolton Wanderers

K Davies Concussion 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

S Davis Knee Injury 23rd Oct 10

G McCann Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10

J OBrien Knee Injury no return date

Aston Villa

J Carew Hamstring Injury 26th Sep 10

S Ireland Hamstring Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

F Delph Knee Injury no return date

Blackburn Rovers

M Salgado Thigh Muscle Strain 9th Oct 10

R Nelson Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10 slight doubt

K Andrews Groin Strain no return date

Everton

L Saha Knee Injury no return date

J Rodwell Ankle/Foot Injury no return date

V Anichebe Knee Injury 18th Sep 10

Manchester United

A Valencia Ankle/Foot Injury Feb 11

M Carrick Achilles Tendinopathy 2nd Oct 10

O Hargreaves Knee Injury no return date

West Bromwich Albion

M Cech Ankle/Foot Injury no return date

J Matlock Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Sep 10

I Miller Thigh Muscle Strain 18th Sep 10

Wolverhampton Wanderers

R Zubar Hamstring Injury 18th Sep 10

J Van Damme Ankle/Foot Injury 2nd Oct 10

S Hunt Metatarsal Fracture 16th Oct 10

Chelsea

F Lampard Gilmores Groin 19th Sep 10

J Bosingwa Knee Injury 3rd Oct 10

Liverpool

F Aurelio Achilles Tendinopathy 2nd Oct 10

D Kuyt Shoulder Injury 17th Oct 10

Stoke City

T Sorensen Arm/Elbow Injury no return date

M Sidibe Calf/Shin Injury Jan 11

Wigan Athletic

V Moses Ankle/Foot Injury 19th Sep 10

G Caldwell Hip/Thigh Injury 2nd Oct 10



Game Week 5 Previews (Courtesy of BBC)

Stoke v West Ham
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1245 BST

Stoke have no new injury concerns ahead of the visit of West Ham United.
Manager Tony Pulis may opt to field an unchanged side following Stokes first win of the season on Monday, and Eidur Gudjohnsen will again be on the bench.
West Ham manager Avram Grant and defender Tal Ben Haim will miss the game because it falls on the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur.
Danny Gabbidon and Thomas Hitzlsperger are struggling with hamstring and thigh injuries respectively.

Stoke
Injured: Sidibe (Achilles)

West Ham
Doubtful: Gabbidon (hamstring), Hitzlsperger (thigh)
Injured/unavailable: Ben Haim (religious reasons), Collison, Hines &amp; Kurucz (all knee)

Aston Villa v Bolton
Venue: Villa Park Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald must decide whether to recall fit-again midfielder Stephen Ireland.
Forward John Carew has recovered from the hamstring injury he sustained on international duty.
Bolton are without suspended pair Gary Cahill and Jussi Jaaskelainen, so Andy OBrien and Adam Bogdan will deputise.
Captain Kevin Davies could miss out after suffering concussion against Arsenal, while Tamir Cohen will observe Jewish holy day Yom Kippur.

Aston Villa
Injured: Delph (knee), Weimann (ankle)

Bolton
Suspended: Cahill (three matches), Jaaskelainen (two matches)
Doubtful: K Davies (concussion), Gardner (thigh), J OBrien (fitness), Samuel (calf)
Injured/unavailable: Cohen (religious reasons), Davis (knee)

Blackburn v Fulham
Venue: Ewood Park Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen is expected to be fit for Fulhams visit on Saturday.
Rovers will monitor the fitness of Michel Salgado, who injured his thigh against Manchester City.
Fulham winger Damien Duff should be available to face his former team after recovering from a calf injury.
Rafik Halliche and Fredrik Stoor (both groin) are doubts, while Andrew Johnson (knee) is still three to four weeks away from a first-team return.

Blackburn
Doubtful: Nelsen (foot), Salgado (thigh)
Injured: Andrews (groin)

Fulham
Doubtful: Duff (calf), Halliche &amp; Stoor (both groin)
Injured: Dikgacoi (thigh), A Johnson (knee), Kamara (foot), Senderos (Achilles), Stockdale (ankle), Zamora (leg)

Everton v Newcastle
Venue: Goodison Park Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has said that he may make changes following the disappointing defeat to Blackpool.
Hatem Ben Arfa is pushing for a starting spot after an exciting cameo last week and Sol Campbell and Chiek Tiote could make their debuts.
Everton manager David Moyes will give a late fitness test to key midfielder Tim Cahill, who has a knee injury.
Jack Rodwell and Louis Saha remain on the sidelines, but Phil Neville is fully fit after three weeks out.

Everton
Doubtful: Cahill (knee)
Injured: Anichebe &amp; Saha (both knee), Rodwell (ankle)

Newcastle
Suspended: Xisco (two matches)
Injured: Best &amp; Simpson (both ankle), Gosling &amp; Guthrie (both knee), S Taylor (shoulder)

Tottenham v Wolves
Venue: White Hart Lane Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

Tottenham are likely to be without Rafael van der Vaart due to a calf injury, but fellow playmaker Luka Modric could return in his place.
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is still not fit and Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson remain long-term absentees.
Wolves centre-back Christophe Berra is missing through suspension and will be replaced by Richard Stearman.
Steven Mouyokolo is finally fit after thigh and ankle injuries, and Ronald Zubar is back after hamstring trouble.

Tottenham
Doubtful: Bentley (ankle), Modric (leg), van der Vaart (calf)
Injured: Dawson (knee &amp; ankle), Defoe (ankle), OHara (back), Gomes &amp; Woodgate (both groin)

Wolves
Suspended: Berra (one match)
Injured: Hunt (foot)

West Brom v Birmingham
Venue: The Hawthorns Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

West Brom have no new injury problems and will welcome back Graham Dorrans, who missed the draw with Tottenham because of a family bereavement.
Midfielder James Morrison serves the second of a three-match suspension.
Birmingham will be without James McFadden after the shock news that he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during training on Friday.
Midfielder Alexander Hleb has got over an ankle injury, and fellow new signing Jean Beausejour may make the bench.

West Brom
Suspended: Morrison (two matches)
Injured: Cech (foot), Mattock (ankle), Miller (thigh)

Birmingham
Doubtful: Beausejour (jet lag)
Injured: McFadden (knee), Parnaby (hamstring), Phillips (thigh)

Sunderland v Arsenal
Venue: Stadium of Light Date: Saturday, 18 September Kick-off: 1730 BST

Arsenal will again be without defender Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) and midfielder Abou Diaby (ankle).
Tomas Rosicky and Kieran Gibbs could be involved having sat out the midweek 6-0 Champions League victory over Braga.
Sunderland will be without captain Lee Cattermole following his second red card of the season at Wigan last week.
Defender John Mensah, who has been struggling with a hamstring injury, is a doubt, but Ahmed Elmohamady will be available after a minor knock.

Sunderland
Suspended: Cattermole (two matches)
Doubtful: Mensah (hamstring), Reid (Achilles)
Injured: Campbell &amp; Meyler (both knee), Gordon (arm), Turner (ankle)

Arsenal
Injured: Bendtner (groin), Diaby, van Persie &amp; Walcott (all ankle), Frimpong (knee), Ramsey (broken leg), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Man Utd v Liverpool
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Sunday, 19 September Kick-off: 1330 BST

Manchester United made 10 changes against Rangers in midweek and are likely to reinstate the bulk of the team that drew with Everton.
Rio Ferdinand will make his first Premier League start of the season.
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will return for Liverpool after missing Thursdays Europa League win against Steaua Bucharest.
England midfielder Joe Cole will also return to Premier League action following a three-match suspension.

Manchester United
Doubtful: Anderson (knee)
Injured: Carrick (Achilles), Hargreaves (knee), Valencia (ankle)

Liverpool
Injured: Aurelio (Achilles), Kuyt (shoulder)

Wigan v Man City
Venue: DW Stadium Date: Sunday, 19 September Kick-off: 1500 BST

Manchester City will assess the fitness of striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who missed the Europa League win in Salzburg with a dead leg.
Jerome Boateng (knee) is unlikely to be involved, but Roque Santa Cruz is fit and available.
Victor Moses should be fit to return for Wigan after missing two games with an ankle problem.
Defender Gary Caldwell will remain sidelined for a few more weeks as he recovers from hip surgery.

Wigan
Doubtful: Moses (ankle) Injured: Gary Caldwell (hip)

Manchester City
Doubtful: Adebayor (dead leg), Boateng (knee)
Injured: Balotelli (knee), Kolarov &amp; Tchuimeni-Nimely (both ankle), Lescott (groin)

Chelsea v Blackpool
Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Sunday, 19 September Kick-off: 1600 BST

Chelseas Frank Lampard has not recovered fully from his hernia surgery and will play no part on Sunday.
Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole will return after missing Wednesdays match with MSK Zilina.
Blackpool could keep faith with the side that impressively beat Newcastle last Saturday.
Dekel Keinan will be available to play as Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, is on Saturday, and Keith Southern is pushing for a start.

Chelsea
Injured: Bosingwa (knee)

Blackpool
Doubtful: Baptiste (hand)
Injured: Almond (shoulder), Clarke &amp; Rachubka (both knee)

Best Buys in the VS EPL Competition for cash generation
Goalkeepers:
AL HABSI, Ali
GILKS, Matthew
MIGNOLET, Simon

Defenders:
ALCARAZ, Antolin
EARDLEY, Neal
KOSCIELNY, Laurent
VAN DAMME, Jelle
CRAINEY, Stephen
EVATT, Ian
FERDINAND, Anton
SAGNA, Bacary

Midfielders:
ADAM, Charlie
POULSEN, Christian
ESSIEN, Michael
NANI
GRANDIN, Elliot
HENDERSON, Jordan
ALBRIGHTON, Marc
DOWNING, Stewart
SONG, Alexandre
VAUGHAN, David
DAVIS, Simon

Forwards:
DEMBELE, Moussa
VELA, Carlos
ORMEROD, Brett
ROONEY, Wayne
ODEMWINGIE, Peter
CHAMAKH, Marouane
ELMANDER, Johan
HAREWOOD, Marlon