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Wednesday, December 24, 1997 Published at 12:36 GMT Sport: Football Boxing Day football feast Plenty of top soccer action to go with the turkey sandwiches
Boxing Day, virtually the mid-point of the football season, sees all the top Premiership clubs in action. Here is a run-down on all the games.
Arsenal v Leicester
Ian Wright plays his last game before starting a two-match ban and Emmanuel
Petit is suspended. Tony Adams is sidelined by a back injury. The Leicester boss Martin O'Neill is set to name an unchanged side. Tony Cottee could be called back from his loan spell at Birmingham.
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Villa are likely to stick to the team that drew 1-1 with Southampton last
Saturday, although Lee Hendrie is pushing hard for a first start after recent
substitute appearances. England striker Les Ferdinand hopes to recover from a virus, which forced him to miss the second-half against Barnsley last Saturday, to lead the Spurs attack.
Jurgen Klinsmann will not receive clearance in time to make his Spurs debut
second time around.
Bolton v Barnsley
Mark Fish, back from South Africa duty, and Gerry Taggart, who has recovered
from a groin injury on the back of a six-game ban, are in contention. Mike
Whitlow is on standby to replace Jimmy Phillips. Dean Holdsworth and Alan
Thompson are serving suspensions, and keeper Keith Branagan is doubtful because of a groin injury.
Barnsley will have a fully-fit squad to choose from, with the exception of
long-term casualty Steve Davis, as Yugoslav midfielder Jovo Bosancic should play after being rested.
Chelsea v Wimbledon
Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris is struggling with flu but is expected to be
available for selection. Mark Hughes continues his three-match ban.
Wimbledon will be without suspended duo Chris Perry and Ceri Hughes. Strikers
Efan Ekoku, Jason Euell and Jon Goodman, and defender Brian McAllister are
injured.
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Palace could welcome back England U21 strikers Bruce Dyer and Neil Shipperley
but wing-back Jamie Smith and Italian stars Attilio Lombardo and Michele
Padovano seem certain to miss out through injury. Egil Ostenstad, who has not started a game for more than two months, is on standby to return in place of Kevin Davies who is doubtful because of a thigh injury. Australian midfielder Robbie Slater is available for the first time in three weeks.
Derby v Newcastle
Derby have Jacob Laursen and Dean Sturridge under treatment. Laursen has been out for a month with a knee injury while Sturridge strained a hamstring at
Newcastle last Wednesday. Defender Steve Elliott, who has a thigh strain, is
another doubtful starter.
Newcastle's Belgium international defender Philippe Albert hopes to be fit
despite injuring a hamstring in Sunday's match against Manchester United. Albert will have treatment over Christmas, as will club captain Rob Lee for a calf
strain.
Liverpool v Leeds
Liverpool captain Paul Ince is fighting to be fit after a groin problem kept
him out of the last two Premiership matches. Jamie Carragher will stand in if
the England midfielder fails a fitness test.
Leeds centre back Lucas Radebe completes a two-match ban which provides
another chance for Robert Molenaar. Harry Kewell will come into contention if he recovers from the knee injury.
Manchester United v Everton
United will be virtually at full strength and Alex Ferguson seems certain to
stick with the squad that travelled to Newcastle on Sunday for the 1-0 win at St
James's Park. David May is having treatment on a knee injury.
Danny Williamson could be back in the Everton squad after an ankle problem
kept him out at Leicester last Saturday. Duncan Ferguson completes his
three-match ban while Slaven Bilic still has three more games to go. Dave Watson and Gary Speed are doubtful starters.
Sheffield Wednesday v Blackburn
Wednesday have skipper Peter Atherton back from suspension but record signing Paolo Di Canio starts a two-match ban and fellow Italian, Benito Carbone, is likely to replace him.
Blackburn striker Chris Sutton is available after a one-match ban. Damien Duff
is likely to keep his place in attack after filling Sutton's boots at West Ham
on Saturday. That would mean winger Jason Wilcox being demoted to the
substitutes' bench.
West Ham v Coventry
West Ham are hoping for last minute international clearance to enable Bernard
Lama to play against the Sky Blues. Australian winger Stan Lazaridis is back in
the squad after returning from international duty in the Confederations Cup.
Coventry have Gary Breen, Paul Williams and David Burrows suspended. Gary
McAllister and John Salako are on the long-term injury list, and now Roland
Nilsson and Marcus Hall are doubtful. Dion Dublin is likely to
line up at centre back again.
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