Previews

Blues aim to maintain record

Author: Rose Young
Date: 26/09/2009
Football betting

Wigan Athletic have the unenviable task of trying to end Chelsea's 100 per cent winning start to the season when they take on Carlo Ancelotti's side at the DW Stadium.

Roberto Martinez's only injury concern is Olivier Kapo (knee) while powerhouse Blues centre-forward Didier Drogba is likely to miss out with the calf problem he picked up in last week's 3-0 victory against Spurs.

Deco (calf), Alex (groin) and Yuri Zhirkov (knee) are all struggling to be fit for Chelsea, who are the sportsbook favourites to win the title.

Can Chelsea make it seven wins out of seven by beating Wigan Athletic this weekend? - Latest Football Betting

Manchester United face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium with Tony Pulis' men starting the game as underdogs.

Pulis is still without Amady Faye (back) and Mamady Sidibe (knee) while Sir Alex Ferguson has Edwin Van Der Sar (thumb), Rafael (shoulder), Gabriel Obertan (back) and Owen Hargreaves (knee) currently in the Old Trafford treatment room.

Fulham host Arsenal in what could prove to be an explosive London derby at Craven Cottage.

Former West Ham United left-back Paul Konchesky (knee) will miss out for the Cottagers as will Toni Kallio (Achilles).

The Gunners continue to struggle with injury problems and Denilson (back), Andriy Arshavin (groin), Theo Walcott (back), Johann Djourou (knee) and Samir Nasri (broken leg) are all missing.

Spurs welcome Burnley to White Hart Lane and Harry Redknapp is likely to opt for Robbie Keane and sharp-shooting Jermain Defoe in attack ahead of Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Ledley King (hamstring), Sebastien Bassong (head) Luka Modric (broken leg) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin) are all likely to miss out while Burnley will be without Martin Paterson, Chris McCann and Steven Caldwell.

Liverpool face Hull City, a team they could only draw 2-2 with last season at Anfield.

Rafa Benitez has seen Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Albert Riera return to action recently but Tigers boss Phil Brown is without injured quintet Jimmy Bullard, Steven Mouyokolo, Anthony Gardner, Richard Garcia and Ian Ashbee (all knee).

Sam Allardyce has demanded an improvement from his Blackburn Rovers side ahead of the visit of Aston Villa to Ewood Park.

Only full-back Gael Givet is currently in the treatment room with a knee injury which will keep him out of action this weekend.

Villa arrive in the north-west without Emile Heskey (ankle), Curtis Davies (shoulder) and Stewart Downing (ankle).

Three points and five places separate Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers ahead of their meeting at St Andrew's.

Cameron Jerome, Marcus Bent, Martin Taylor, Damien Johnson, Seb Larsson, Franck Queudrue, James McFadden and Gregory Vignal have all spent time in the Blues' treatment room this week.

Only Joey O'Brien is unavailable to Gary Megson with a long-term knee injury now that Ricardo Gardner has shrugged off a hamstring problem.

Portsmouth play Everton having lost all six of their league games so far this season.

Paul Hart's problems haven't been helped by the continued absence of Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring), Hermann Hreidarsson (ankle) and summer signing Aruna Dindane (knee).

Everton trio Phil Neville, Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka (all knee ligament) are sidelined.

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