Team news and statistics for Saturday’s Premiership clashes:
Birmingham (17) v Blackburn (10)
Birmingham are without winger Paul Devlin and new midfielder Robbie Savage. Devlin is suspended for the opening three games of the season and Savage is completing a two-match ban he picked up last season after collecting 15 bookings while playing for Leicester.
Club captain Garry Flitcroft returns for Blackburn following an ankle injury but Keith Gillespie starts a three-match ban following his dismissal in a pre-season friendly. Stig Inge Bjornebye (fractured eye socket) and Matt Jansen (head injuries) are both out but Alan Mahon and John Curtis travel to St Andrews.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Birmingham D W D W L Blackburn D W L W D
Top Scorers: None
Match Odds: H 6-4 A 6-4 D 21-10
Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire)
Bolton (18) v Charlton (14)
Bolton captain Gudni Bergsson and midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha are expected to be fit after picking up knocks in the defeat by Fulham. Manager Sam Allardyce is threatening to ring the changes and striker Henrik Pedersen could win a place in the starting line-up. Stig Tofting is again ruled out with a foot injury while Akin Bulent continues his recovery from knee surgery.
Midfielder Scott Parker is ruled out once again for Charlton with an ankle injury but hopes to be back for Tuesday's match against Tottenham. South African duo Mark Fish and Shaun Bartlett are named in the Addicks' party but Mark Kinsella is not after joining Aston Villa.
Last season: Charlton 1 Bolton 2, Bolton 0 Charlton 0
Last five league matches: Bolton D L L L L Charlton D L D D L
Top Scorers: Bolton: Michael Ricketts 1 Charlton: Paul Konchesky 1, Richard Rufus 1
Match Odds: H 11-10 A 21-10 D 21-10
Ref: M Messias (York)
Liverpool (6) v Southampton (12)
Dietmar Hamann is fit after recovering from a knee injury and defender Stephane Henchoz is also expected to be fit after picking up an injury while on international duty in Switzerland's 3-2 midweek win over Austria.
Finnish goalkeeper Antti Niemi is expected to be included in the squad following his move from Hearts. Niemi is competing with Welsh international Paul Jones for the goalkeeper's place after agreeing a #2million move to the St Mary's Stadium.
Last season: Liverpool 1 Southampton 1, Southampton 2 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Liverpool W L W W W Southampton D L L W D
Top Scorers: Liverpool: John Arne Riise 1
Match Odds: H 2-7 A 15-2 D 10-3
Ref: J Winter (Cleveland)
Man City (19) v Newcastle (1)
Peter Schmeichel will make his Manchester City debut tomorrow after shaking off a knee injury and comes in for Carlo Nash. Steve Howey has shaken off a groin strain. But there is no place for on-loan Algerian midfielder Karim Kerkar or on-trial Nigerian defender Taribo West.
Gary Speed has returned to the Newcastle squad after shaking off an ankle injury. Speed is joined by Republic of Ireland defender Andy O'Brien, who has recovered from shin splints. But Craig Bellamy (knee), Laurent Robert (back), Clarence Acuna (thigh) and Carl Cort (groin) are all sidelined.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Man City W W W W L Newcastle W D W L W
Top Scorers: Newcastle: Lomana Tresor LuaLua 2
Match Odds: H 13-8 A 13-10 D 9-4
Ref: U Rennie (Sheffield)
Middlesbrough (11) v Fulham (2)
Middlesbrough will be without Slovakian international forward Szilard Nemeth who suffered a hamstring injury on international duty against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. Suspended left-back Frank Queudrue is likely to be replaced by veteran Colin Cooper.
Fulham's Cameroon international Pierre Wome has been granted a work permit - but is not fit enough to make his debut. Fellow new signing Martin Djetou - out for another three weeks after a minor knee operation - returned to England from France yesterday and will soon step up his recovery programme.
Last season: Middlesbrough 2 Fulham 1, Fulham 2 Middlesbrough 1
Last five league matches: Middlesbrough L L L L D Fulham W W D L W
Top Scorers: Fulham: Sylvain Legwinski 2
Match Odds: H 5-6 A 11-4 D 11-5
Ref: M Dean (Wirral)
Sunderland (13) v Everton (8)
Sunderland's new Stg£3.5million signing Mathew Piper is included in the squad for the first time but is unlikely to start. Defender Phil Babb has recovered from a back injury and seems certain to start, but Emerson Thome (knee) and keeper Thomas Myhre (groin) are out.
Everton's Nigerian star Joseph Yobo has declared himself unfit for the game. Yobo played 88 minutes of a reserve win at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the week but is still not considered match-fit enough to make his Premiership debut following a summer ankle problem. Swedish World Cup man Tobias Linderoth is also unlikely to figure in the starting line-up.
Last season: Everton 1 Sunderland 0, Sunderland 1 Everton 0
Last five league matches: Sunderland L L D D D Everton D W L L D
Top Scorers: Everton: Mark Pembridge 1, Tomasz Radzinski 1
Match Odds: H 11-10 A 21-10 D 21-10
Ref: R Styles (Hampshire)
Tottenham (9) v Aston Villa (15)
With Stephen Carr's hamstring injury the latest setback and Darren Anderton (knee) and Christian Ziege (ankle) still major doubts, Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle has to contemplate changes.
New signing Mark Kinsella goes straight into the Villa squad and striker Juan Pablo Angel returns as they go in search of their first points and goals of the season. The Colombian international missed the opening game with a knee problem. Manager Graham Taylor hopes to be able to include Alpay, Olof Mellberg, Marcus Allback and Mark Delaney who were all on international duty this week.
Last season: Aston Villa 1 Tottenham 1, Tottenham 0 Aston Villa 0
Last five league matches: Tottenham D D W L D Aston Villa L D W W L
Top Scorers: Tottenham: Matthew Etherington 1, Les Ferdinand 1
Match Odds: H 4-5 A 21-10 D 3-1
Ref: C Wilkes (Gloucestershire)
West Brom (16) v Leeds (3)
Derek McInnes and Scott Dobie both returned unscathed from midweek international duty with Scotland and boss Gary Megson has a similar clean bill of health from Icelandic star Larus Sigurdsson, Welshman Andy Johnson and the Republic of Ireland's Joe Murphy. Johnson will continue to play despite rejecting the club's latest contract offer.
Jonathan Woodgate's hopes of a return to action appear scuppered after the Leeds centre-back re-opened a gash in his leg during training yesterday. Woodgate sustained the injury, which required nine stitches, during a pre-season friendly against Rangers and had been pencilled in to return tomorrow.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: West Brom W D W W L Leeds W L W W W
Top Scorers: Leeds: Nick Barmby 1, Robbie Keane 1, Mark Viduka 1
Match Odds: H 16-5 A 8-11 D 9-4
Ref: S Dunn (Avon)
West Ham (20) v Arsenal (4)
West Ham should have Frederic Kanoute back from injury. The French striker missed the 4-0 defeat at Newcastle on Monday with a neck injury.
Dennis Bergkamp (calf) and Sylvain Wiltord (ankle) have both passed fitness tests and Nigerian striker Kanu is also fit again. But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rested #4.5 million Brazilian Gilberto Silva after he played for his country in midweek.
Last season: Arsenal 2 West Ham 0, West Ham 1 Arsenal 1
Last five league matches: West Ham W L L W L Arsenal W W W W W
Top Scorers: Arsenal: Thierry Henry 1, Gilberto Silva 1, Sylvain Wiltord 1
Match Odds: H 10-3 A 8-11 D 11-5
Ref: N Barry (Scunthorpe)