following a three-game suspension after a red card against Reading -- will certainly bolster an attack that has failed to net a pair of goals in any contest this season.
Striker Wayne Rooney is making quicker-than-expected progress in his recovery from the broken foot he suffered in the season's opening week, but don't expect him to tie up his boots and see the field on Saturday. With an upcoming Champions League match at Sporting Lisbon followed by a home match with Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson -- who, as an aside, seems to have recovered from a shocking kick to the groin by a London drunk on Monday -- surely does not want to risk bringing Rooney back too soon.
While the game is key for Everton's hopes of placing in the top four, it is even more crucial to Manchester United's chances of repeating as league champ. Having earned just eight of a possible 15 points in five league matches, the Red Devils can ill-afford another setback, even against a good team away from home. Injured back Gary Neville, who may return within a week, believes his team can lose no more than twice more for the rest of the season if they hope to repeat at the top of the table.
Everton's hopes to remain unbeaten rest on a strong back line led by Nigerian Joseph Yobo, whose "last three or four performances have been of a very high standard," according to Moyes. Up front, Andy Johnson is still looking for his first goal of the season for the Toffees.
Portsmouth v. Liverpool (7:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, Setanta delay at 4:30 p.m. ET)
Benitez will have a bolstered squad to unleash his wrath on the south coasters this weekend. Defender Jamie Carragher is almost certain to return after missing two games with a rib injury, while Steven Gerrard remains fit and ready to play despite two appearances in five days for England while sporting a broken toe. Left back Fabio Aurelio is also nearly ready after missing five months with a knee injury suffered in an April Champions League match with PSV Eindhoven.
It's hard to believe the Reds need any extra help after outscoring opponents 12-0 in their last three matches. Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres each had a pair of goals in a 6-0 rout of table cellar-dweller Derby County two weeks ago, and Benitez will surely hope that his clubs explosiveness will carry through the two-week break and into this match against a much more formidable foe. Torres, for his part, says the more direct style of play in England -- as opposed to his time in La Liga with Atletico Madrid -- suits his style.
Portsmouth's 1-2-2 start is a bit misleading thanks to three early encounters with the EPL's bears, including two away. Pompey managed just a point from those three matches, and manager Harry Redknapp recognizes the challenge of trying to compete with the Premiership's elite as he welcomes another.
He told The News "I've said it a million times, the top four will be the top four again -- not because they've got the best four managers, because they've got the best players."
Redknapp, well-respected for his work as manager in Portsmouth, hopes that for one day at least, his players will be able to play at least even with a stacked Liverpool club. Another goal from John Utuka -- already two on the season -- would help.
Tottenham Hotspur v. Arsenal (8:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Fox Soccer Channel)
Martin Jol's Spurs -- and how long will scribes be able to write that? -- are in desperate need of three points when Arsenal takes the short trip to White Hart Lane on Saturday. Tottenham haven't beaten the Gunners since 1999, but Jol insists there is not a large gap between the two sides, especially with Darren Bent and Aaron Lennon looking fit and perhaps ready to see action this weekend.
At least Jol is not whining about his players being away for international play, noting that all of the good teams had many players away. The question is whether Spurs can prove, in fact, to be a good team. Early losses to Sunderland and Everton put Jol on notice, and, after squandering a two-goal lead at Fulham, he has hardly any margin left. Jol will need to secure a porous backline if Tottenham is to come away with any points against the creative and talented Gunners attack.
With the exception of keeper Jens Lehman -- likely to be deposed in net by Manuel Almunia this weekend -- Arsenal are off to a near-flawless start, particularly in a three-game win streak that has seen them outscore opponents 7-1. And now that manager Arsene Wenger has signed an extension, everyone in red and white seems quite relieved and focused. We'll see if Arsenal's joie de vivre overwhelms the gloomy Spurs.
Birmingham City v. Bolton Wanderers (10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday)
Birmingham and Bolton will be in a desperate fight for points on Saturday, with the two clubs managing a result in just three of their 10 matches this season.
After a 3-0 Bolton win over Reading seemed to right Sammy Lee's wandering ship, Everton got an 89th-minute game-winner a week later at Bolton (second to bottom) to continue their malaise. Birmingham has done little more to assure fans they'll get the chance to see Premiership football next season, managing just a draw to Sunderland and a win over bottom-feeding Derby County.
Veteran Bolton winger Stelios is set to start training after hernia surgery this summer, but he won't be ready for Birmingham City, and one wonders how much ground the Trotters will have to make up once he is fit.
West Ham United v. Middlesbrough (10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, FSC)
The Hammers have had a confusing campaign to date, undefeated away while managing just a point in two home matches. They suffered an embarrassing, 2-0 home defeat to Man City on the season-opening day and later managed just a draw against Wigan at Upton Park. On the road, however, West Ham shut out both Birmingham (1-0) and Reading (3-0). Manager Alan Curbishley is seeking additional energy and purpose from his team to ensure they don't have a similarly disappointing home result on Saturday, a day that may see Scott Parker make his West Ham debut.
Boro has turned around its season after an 0-2 start, going unbeaten in their last three EPL matches, but manager Gareth Southgate may not have keeper Mark Schwarzer available for the match after he banged his knee in a collision with Argentina's Lionel Messi in Australia's friendly. The long flight back from Australia could exacerbate the injury and cause Southgate to look to fellow Aussie Brad Jones to fill in. This injury comes in the midst of contract negotiations for Schwarzer, which hit a snag when his representative, Shep Messing, turned down an extension.
Sunderland v. Reading (10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, Setanta)
Roy Keane has plenty to worry about entering this crucial home fixture with the news that $11 million winger Kieran Richardson will likely be out for three months with a stress fracture in his back. Add to the wounded and barely walking Carlos Edwards, whose return from a hamstring tear was derailed when he tore it again in training. Defender Stanislav Varga also won't see the pitch for a while now that he must undergo surgery on his ailing knee.
At least Keane still has Craig Gordon, the $18 million signing from Hearts, a transaction that was then considered ridiculous, but one that Keane now insists is a bargain. Gordon had a clean sheet in Scotland's 1-0 shocker at France in UEFA qualifying on Wednesday. He'll try to get his club side back on track after suffering four straight shutout defeats, including an embarrassing, 3-0 Carling Cup setback against Luton. Still, there's the problem of scoring goals.
With a pair of 3-0 defeats in their last two contests, it's not as if Reading has been tearing up the pitch either. Coppell is convinced that the next five fixtures will determine his team's relegation fate. With Sunderland, Wigan and Derby in that set of five (along with Liverpool and Portsmouth), Coppell's club better secure points now or risk a dodgy new year. Coppell should welcome to the lineup Liam Rosenior, the ex-Cottager who came over from Fulham for Seol Ki-Hyeon in a last-second swap two weeks ago.
On a sad note, Ian Porterfield, member of 1973 FA Cup champs from Sunderland -- and one-time manager of Reading -- died this week, and he'll be honored before the match between two clubs he knew so well.
Wigan Athletic v. Fulham (10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday)
Wigan has taken advantage of a soft, early-season schedule to put themselves in the middle of the table after five matches. Still, they've failed to win since a 3-0 home decision over Sunderland four weeks ago. The Latics will hope to end that winless streak when they welcome Fulham to JJB Stadium this Saturday.
Led by Clint Dempsey, Fulham made a remarkable comeback in the last 15 minutes against Tottenham in their last match to draw, 3-3. Diomansy Kamara's preposterous bicycle kick off a header from Dempsey lofted over a helpless Michael Robinson to even the score in the 90th minute. Still, the match with Tottenham reinforced FFC's primary weakness -- the defense. Dejan Stefanovic proved overmatched by Dmitri Berbatov in his first match at Craven Cottage, while Antti Niemi showed excessive rust in seeing the field for the first time since being injured in warmups on opening weekend.
Niemi and the Fulham defense will have to deal with a rejuvenated Emile Heskey, who received two caps at forward for England in their UEFA Cup qualifying wins this week. It had been two years since he saw the pitch in an England jersey. In other international action, Carlos Bocanegra and Dempsey were responsible for the United States' only two goals in a 4-2 Brazil win on Sunday.
On the injury side of things, Wigan winger Luis Antonio Valencia will be out for up to a month after undergoing knee surgery, and Welsh national Jason Koumas may also be out for Saturday after leaving Wales' win in Slovakia with a foot injury. For Fulham, Aaron Hughes is close to making his debut, but don't expect him back this weekend. Hughes has just returned to full training after suffering an ankle injury in preseason.
Finally, Seol Ki-Hyeon could make his debut for Fulham on Saturday. According to Seol's ex-manager, Reading's Coppell, the midfielder became at odds with Coppell over inconsistent playing time. We'll see if Lawrie Sanchez is any kinder.
Chelsea v. Blackburn Rovers (12:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, FSC)
The big news in West London these days is that injured mid Michael Ballack was close to signing with Real Madrid this summer and may be headed there during the winter transfer window. Real's Bernd Shuster says talks broke down over an inability to meet Ballack's salary demands, though the German FA thinks Chelsea may be to blame. Ballack hasn't played for the Blues since April and has been dropped from the Champions League squad.
On the pitch -- where Ballack won't be on Saturday -- Chelsea will try to rebound from a surprising 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa last time out. Manager Jose Mourinho's club is stocked with firepower, but they've scored just two goals in their last two matches, and one was that dubious penalty awarded against Liverpool. But Chelsea has yet to drop a point at Stamford Bridge this season, though Blackburn will be their stiffest test so far. Chelsea will have to pass the test without John Terry and Didier Drogba, the latter of whom is expected to be a late scratch with a balky knee.
Rovers have yet to taste defeat in eight matches this season (including four Intertoto and UEFA Cup wins). They managed a point in their two stiffest league tests, a pair of 1-1 draws at Everton and at home to Arsenal. With a team that has allowed just three goals all season and a take-no-prisoners attitude, manager Mark Hughes will try to give Chelsea a second-straight shock on Saturday.
Manchester City v. Aston Villa (11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, FSC)
After a 3-0 start to his first campaign at Man City, Sven-Goran Eriksson has seen a pair of 1-0 road defeats dampen the hyperbolic cheer surrounding his club -- those losses to Arsenal and Blackburn coming on the heels of the stirring, 1-0 victory in the derby against Man U.
Martin O'Neill hopes the same fate does not befall his team after their magnificent, 2-0 win over Chelsea two weeks ago. With the hamstring injury to Curtis Davies, Villa acquired Zat Knight -- drug bust and all -- from Fulham and saw the rangy defender provide instant dividends with a headed goal off of a corner that gave AVFC the only goal they would need.
Playmaker Nigel Reo-Coker says he's optimistic about his club's chances of competing in Europe for the next decade, but says they'll have to develop a "nasty streak." They'll prove their nastiness if they can give Man City their first home defeat of the season in this Sunday clash.
Derby County v. Newcastle United (3:00 p.m. ET on Monday)
Though this is considered part of the next game week, it's a lot closer to this weekend's action than the next.
Derby is coming off that embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Liverpool that has entrenched Billy Davies' team at bottom of the table. He said he's received support from fellow Premiership managers amidst concerns about his job security after DC's fourth straight EPL defeat. Former Celtic forward Kenny Miller says he's fit and wants to play on Monday, insisting that the relegation fight is not a lost cause.
While they return home on Monday evening, the challenge will be great against Sam Allardyce's surging Newcastle squad. Big Sam has yet to taste defeat in his first season up north, and with Michael Owen tearing things up for England, Newcastle's run looks like it could last. On the negative side, defender Peter Ramage has resigned himself to missing the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his knee.
Brendon Desrochers is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
