Premier League - Team news: Berbatov returns
Eurosport - Sun, 21 Sep 17:53:00 2008
Manchester United have handed a starting spot to Dimitar Berbatov for the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, while Deco was injured in the warm-up so Michael Ballack will start for the home side.
Click on the links underneath the photograph to see the predicted line-ups!!
Matches kick off at 15:00 UK time unless otherwise stated.
Chelsea v Manchester United (14:00)
Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the squad for the crucial clash. Berbatov missed the Champions League draw with Villarreal in midweek while Ronaldo made a long-awaited comeback for the struggling giants, who lost to fierce rivals Liverpool last weekend. Defender Nemanja Vidic is suspended so Alex Ferguson has selected Jonny Evans while Gary Neville replaces Wes Brown at right-back. Goalkeeper Ben Foster is out for six to eight weeks with ankle ligament damage sustained in a reserve match and midfielder Michael Carrick will be missing for a month with a broken foot.
Michael Essien (knee) is out for the home side, but Chelsea welcome back Didier Drogba from injury. He starts on the bench while Nicolas Anelka leads the attack as the Blues seek to maintain their 84-match unbeaten home league run.
Midfielder Michael Johnson (groin) is a doubt for Man City after he was ruled out of the European win over Omonia Nicosia on Thursday night. Winger Martin Petrov is definitely out with a similar problem. Strike trio Benjani (thigh), Darius Vassell (knee) and Valeri Bojinov (calf/shin) are out.
Wingers Armand Traore and John Utaka could be rested by Portsmouth after their exertions against Vitoria Guimaraes, with Papa Bouba Diop and Glen Little candidates to come in - the latter is still awaiting his debut after injury. Younes Kaboul could also make a comeback. Striker Ben Sahar (knee) and midfielders Niko Kranjcar (ankle), Jerome Thomas (back) and Richard Hughes (calf/shin) remain sidelined; likewise defenders Lauren (knee) and Richard Duffy (groin).
Hull v Everton
Striker Victor Anichebe faces a fitness test on a shin injury he picked up during the club's UEFA Cup draw against Standard Liege on Thursday. Goalkeeper Tim Howard has been suffering from a virus but will play. Steven Pienaar (ankle), Andy van der Meyde (hamstring), Tony Hibbert (knee), Joseph Yobo (ankle) and Louis Saha (calf) remain injured.
Hull midfielder George Boateng may return after missing the last three league matches with a thigh problem. Attackers Nick Barmby (calf) and Richard Garcia (virus) are expected to feature while Daniel Cousin will make his debut after he was suspended for last week's defeat of Newcastle: he will replace Craig Fagan, who is out for three months thanks to a horror tackle Danny Guthrie of Newcastle.
Tottenham v Wigan
Croatia playmaker Luka Modric is a major doubt with the knee injury he picked up against Aston Villa last Monday while right-back Alan Hutton is also out with an ankle injury - Vedran Corluka will play on the right side of defence after he was cup-tied in the midweek win over Wisla Krakow. Hossam Ghaly is missing with a knee problem.
Wigan pair Ryan Taylor and Erik Edman have knee injuries and will not be available.
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Comment 13 - 32 of 32
Any people on this site English???
Anyone been to a EP game..... the comments are a joke. What did someone say, "glory Man Utd and the saints go marching on". Anybody with half a brain cell would know the Saints go marching on is Southampton's theme song NOT Man Utd.
If Ronaldo is going to playa from the star Man U is going to lose big times!!!, its's better if he get in as a substitute..., today match needs a lot of energy and practicles he has been out for a quite long time... he runs a lot on the ground so if he start from the beggining the second half he'll be useless ... if you don't believe what am saying let's wait for the 90 minute to finnish
I'm hoping for a draw LOL
Neutral here, my prediction is that Chelsea will win today. They are at home, they are in form and they are playing a shaken Man Utd. team who haven't been firing yet this season. IMO this is a make or break game for Man U, if they lose this I can't see them winning the Premier League, especially as Chelsea are the other main contenders.
MAN U SHUDA BOUGHT DAVID VILLA AND NOT BERBATOV. PARK, O SHEA, CARRICK HAVE TO GO SOON BUT MAN U STILL GOOD ENOUGH TO BEAT CHELSEA ANY TIME THEY WANT TO
oh come on I want all 4 forwards to play today. Berbatov, tevez, ronaldo and rooney. It will be the best attack in the world
same auld chelsea same auld cheaters, cry baby terry is a disgrace to english football,and should be demoted from england captain, rules for one and not another
there is a definate north south divide, even the comentators have to back chelsea.the whole thing is just a franchise , its not true football anymore ,money is god not the game
FERGIE should play all four forwards for the chelsea game.......berbatov,tevez rooney,and ronaldo!!!! although im a mu fan, i dont think they will win today. i think it will be a draw. reminder: chelsea have not lost at home for 84 games in a row. it will be a tough ask for man u. so, my prediction: chelsea 1 manu 1.
to kazuma...chelsea gone win-dow shopping, is that what you mean?
United all da way . rooney to get back on da scoresheet 2day against chelsea again. da man is a legend. wit ron tevez and scholsey dey r bound 2 cause sum problems fr chelsea. big loss dat vidic is out bt rio is a rock in dere so id say 2-1 to United!! C'MON U RED DEVILS!!
MU has been so great. Tevez will score twice today.
chelsea is a looser......
Spurs are desperate for a win; if Daws plays, it'll be a @#$% up etween him and Bramble to star in this show ;-)
The fact that Ronaldo is back to the starting line-up in time is a great advantage for United. With Berbatov added to the red's squad is also an improvement on last year. Chelsea improved too with the signings of Deco and Bosingwa. The attack of United is by far better than that of Chelsea. The defense will be, in my opinion, of the same quality as Manchester United will miss Vidic in today's match. United's midfield is also better than that Chelsea. Deco played against United in last year's champions league semi-final when he was still with Barcelona and he was just a normal player which United totally marked.
Final result: Chelsea 1-2 United
I think the FA are wrong to recind the J.Terry red card. They tell the footballers to respect the refs and thier decisions if not they are punished. Yet when they ask the ref to change J.Terry's red card he sticks by his decision and keeps it and THEY change it and then demote the ref to a 2nd div match. Were is the respect for the ref from the FA.
THAT TRUE MANYOO CHAMPION LAST SEASON BUT IT IS BY LUCK, PENALTY, REFEREE, JOHN TERRY SLIPPED AND OF COURSE BECAUSE ONE MAN RONALDO..BUT TODAY CHELSEA WILL SHOW U HOW TO WIN WITHOUT LUCK..COMFORTABLE WIN FOR CHELSEA 3-1..
Okay, Let's be fair, United have had a bad start to the season, but Chelsea have got off to a flier. These is ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE of Liverpool or Arsenal winning the title this year. I'm a United fan, and it will go down to the nail, at the end. But today, with Berbatov and Ronaldo back I do think that United will have the edge.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR FERGAL.
Manchester will rule.
Manchester CITY, that is!
GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED AND THE SAINTS GO MARCHING ON ON
WE LOVE THE REDS !. COME ON UNITED
manyoo suck looser today
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