F365’s early winner: Kevin De Bruyne

It later emerged that he was injured but, had it been a simple, ruthless hooking, he could not have complained after 45 woeful minutes against Southampton; Kevin De Bruyne had been unusually sloppy and unusually ineffective against the Saints. It had not been a pretty few weeks for the Belgian, with a deservedly saved penalty against Everton being followed by much toil for little reward in the Nou Camp. De Bruyne returned with an eye-catching cameo against West Brom but during the first half against Barcelona at the Etihad, he cut a peripheral figure, powerless to either halt the seemingly unstoppable force of the Spaniards or rouse his own creativity.

It was little wonder that De Bruyne was a peripheral figure in those opening exchanges – relegated to a wide role by a combination of his abject performance against Southampton and City’s cruise against West Brom with David Silva in a central partnership with Ilkay Gundogan. As the camera panned to the red-faced, shell-shocked man famously dubbed a ‘£60m reject’ on one unforgettable Daily Mirror back page, the commentator said: “City need so much more from him.” He had touched the ball seven times in 40 exhausting minutes.

Nobody knew that more than Pep Guardiola, who made the simple switch to move De Bruyne central and watched a lost boy become a force of nature, eradicating all lingering doubts about his place among Europe’s finest No. 10s as his drive, accuracy and sheer brilliance played a huge part in Manchester City wrestling control of the match. From seven touches in 40 minutes to 35 touches in the next 49 minutes, swapping anonymity for the limelight and absolutely thriving in the glare.

“Kevin helped us a lot as a second striker,” was Guardiola’s post-game understatement. Helped us? He captured near-perfection in that role, where the very best somehow combine dynamism with calmness; it’s a difficult trick to pull off. Think Steven Gerrard in his pomp – driving forward, tackling back, barely losing the ball and yet stretching and testing defenders. To move the ball quickly and accurately and yet creatively against the high press of Barcelona takes a special kind of footballer. Quick enough to be potent in a counter-attack but astute enough to make the right decisions on the overload, De Bruyne is seemingly made for nights like these.

There were other outstanding performers in a City shirt – Gundogan was the Bill to De Bruyne’s Ben in that breathtaking second half, Raheem Sterling was dangerous throughout and Sergio Aguero delivered the kind of striker’s performance that needed no caveat from his manager – but it was the Belgian who announced to a worldwide audience that he belongs in the most vaunted football company. This was a game-changer.

There’s a steely ambition and coolness to De Bruyne that looks at odds with his appearance as a perpetually embarrassed schoolboy – he’s the potential superstar that still looks like he should have posters on his own wall. After that sublime performance at the heart of a famous victory, it’s actually far more difficult to imagine him as a middle-aged man than a Champions League winner.

More games: friv

Everton's Romelu Lukaku hails Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne

The Everton ace was in fine form on international duty.

Romelu Lukaku has singled out Belgium team-mates Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne for praise following the 3-0 win over Cyprus on Tuesday night.

Roberto Martinez's side bounced back from the 2-0 friendly defeat by Spain last week by kicking off their World Cup qualification campaign in style last night.

The Everton hitman netted the first two goals within the hour mark, before Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco fattened the lead on 83 minutes in Nicosia.

But Chelsea's Hazard and Manchester City playmaker De Bruyne also starred in the victory, and the Toffees ace reserved praise for the Premier League stars in an interview with RTBF afterwards.

He said: "Eden made the difference, Kevin [De Bruyne] had a very good game, the defence was excellent. We scored three goals, we didn't concede any. In short, we started very well."

Everton fans will be delighted to see Lukaku back among the goals. The 23-year-old, the Toffees' top goalscorer last season with 25 in all competitions, has not found the net in any of his three outings this season, but his brace in Cyprus may spark him back into life following a transfer window in which he was heavily rumoured to leave.

Everton's Romelu Lukaku reacts after sustaining an injury

Manchester City to rest Kevin De Bruyne for ICC trip to China

Kevin De Bruyne will miss Manchester City's preseason tour to China as he continues to rest after Euro 2016.

The 25-year-old is set to miss the International Champions Cup games against Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund following Belgium's run to the quarterfinals of the European Championship.

Bacary Sagna and Eliaquim Mangala will also miss the matches in Beijing and Shenzen after being part of the France squad that reached the final.

De Bruyne has had an intense 12 months since joining City last August -- making 54 appearances for his club and country despite missing more than two months of the season with knee ligament damage.

His international teammate Jason Denayer, who played in Belgium's quarterfinal defeat to Wales, is part of a 32-man squad heading to China.

It includes Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi, who were part of the Argentina side that reached the final of the Copa America in June. New signing Nolito is also in the squad along with David Silva after Spain were knocked out in the round of 16.

Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling will also join up with the first team in China after a disappointing summer with England.

Kevin De Bruyne will get an extended rest period this summer.

The rest of the squad have been working with new boss Pep Guardiola since he took over earlier this month.

They will form the basis of the side for Guardiola's first game in charge -- the friendly with his former club Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Youth team players will also be given the chance to impress and Guardiola has included 12 Academy stars for both legs of the tour.

Skipper Vincent Kompany will travel to China as he recovers from the groin injury, picked up in May, that forced him to miss Euro 2016.

However, new signing Ilkay Gundogan will remain in Manchester as he steps up his recovery from a dislocated kneecap, which will rule him out for the start of the season.

Brady: Ireland have the players to give Wilmots' men a good trimming

When some of the Ireland players mentioned before their departure to France last week that they were in need of a haircut, Robbie Brady put in a call to his brother, Darren, who now runs a barber shop in his native Baldoyle, after a brief career in England.

On Saturday in Bordeaux, Robbie and the rest of the Ireland team hope to take a scissors to the hyped-up but under-achieving Belgium team when the two nations clash in Group E.

A senior Belgian FA official may have had a chuckle about a supposedly "second-rate" Ireland side but for their players, this is no laughing matter with another big tournament possibly ebbing away.

Belgium, who have injury worries over Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne, head to Bordeaux needing a result to stay involved in Euro 2016 and defeat would leave them sweating on a third-place finish at best.

The golden generation of Belgian footballers got out of their group at the 2014 World Cup finals but failed to set the tournament alight. They now face the ignominy of failing to get past the first hurdle at Euro 2016, after that 2-0 defeat to Italy left coach Marc Wilmots and his players under serious fire back home.

Brady is more keen to talk up Ireland than to heap more praise on the likes of Hazard, Courtois, de Bruyne and Lukaku.

"It doesn't bother me," says Brady when told of negative comments from the Belgian camp.

"We know what we are capable of and we know we are capable of hurting teams. Hopefully we can do that.

"They've got some fantastic players but there's nothing to fear. We can't have any fear going into these games. We've got players that can hurt teams, like we showed the other night against Sweden. Hopefully we can show what we're about as well and try and shut out what they've got."

A large part of Ireland's game-plan on Monday against the Swedes was to restrict the impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a job well done by the unheralded Glenn Whelan.

Sweden were a team of one star and 10 others, Belgium have a side packed with big names, but Brady insists that Saturday is not about simply stopping the opposition.

"That's part of tournament football - we can't just set out to stop them, although we'll be well drilled in trying to do that.

"They have some dangerous players and people who can hurt us. Hopefully we'll keep them quiet and show them what we're about," added Brady, who yesterday spoke warmly about the path taken by himself and fellow northsider Jeff Hendrick, from their time as baby-faced footballers at St Kevin's Boys to that stage of the Stade de France in front of 80,000 fans.

Thrilling

Both men were on the field for that thrilling 1-0 over Germany last year and Brady already feels that Ireland need to summon up the spirit of that victory to take into the Belgian clash.

"We have to if we want to have any ambitions of getting out of this group, we have to think like that," he says, keen for this side to show Europe that footballers from Ireland can, well, play football.

"We do like to play football as well. Some Ireland teams in the past might have had a different approach but we have some lads in at the minute that are really good footballers.

"We like to get the ball down and play, it's about finding the balance, we managed to do that in the first game. Hopefully we can do that for the second."

EPL: Hitman dents Manchester City’s top-4 bid

United visit West Ham United on Tuesday before finishing the season at home to Bournemouth.

 Manchester City’s Eliaquim Mangala (left) vies for the ball with Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal in their English Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday. The match ended 2-2. (Photo: AP)

Manchester: Alexis Sanchez’s 68th-minute equaliser dealt a potentially fatal blow to Manchester City’s Champions League qualification hopes as Arsenal claimed a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

In his final home game as City manager before handing over to Pep Guardiola, Manuel Pellegrini saw Kevin de Bruyne put the hosts in front after Sergio Aguero’s early opener was cancelled out by Olivier Giroud.

But Sanchez’s strike means that Pellegrini is now dependent on fifth-place Manchester United dropping points in their last two games — or Arsenal losing at home to Aston Villa — if his side are to finish in the top four.

Having seen his team tamely concede defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals on Wednesday, it threatens to be a miserable end to Pellegrini’s three-year tenure, which has yielded the 2013-14 Premier League title and two League Cups.

United visit West Ham United on Tuesday before finishing the season at home to Bournemouth and if they win both games, and Arsenal avoid defeat against bottom club Villa, Guardiola will begin life at City as a Europa League manager.
For Arsenal, victory over Villa in next Sunday’s final game will secure a Champions League berth for the 19th season running and they could yet finish above local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who they trail by two points.

But there was a concern for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, and his England counterpart Roy Hodgson, in the shape of a first-half injury to Danny Welbeck.

The match programme contained a message from Emirati club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak thanking Pellegrini and hailing his “engaging approach, integrity and humility”.

In his own notes, Pellegrini describing managing City as a “privilege.” City failed to register a single shot on target in their meek 1-0 Champions League semi-final defeat at Real Madrid, but after a sprightly start they went ahead in the eighth minute.

Jesus Navas’s cross from the right was nodded back and down by Fernandinho and Aguero eluded Mohamed Elneny before driving a left-foot shot into Petr Cech’s bottom-left corner.

Klopp is satisfied with Sunday stroll

In Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp was happy enough with his side’s low-key 2-0 victory over Watford at Anfield after goals from Joe Allen and Roberto Firmino. This contest failed to capture the imagination as both teams have virtually finished caring about the Premier League this season.

Watford are mathematically safe after a wonderful season, whereas Liverpool are focused on the Europa League final against Sevilla in Basel on May 18.

City line up move for 'new De Bruyne'

Manchester City are set to beat Borussia Dortmund to sign Ukrainian starlet Oleksandr Zinchenko, according to reports in Russia.

The 19-year-old winger is understood to prefer a switch to City over the Bundesliga club because he feels it would be easier to learn English over German.

Dortmund were last week reported to be leading the race to sign the left-footed star - likened to City's Kevin de Bruyne - from Russian outfit Ufa, where he has been excellent this season.

But City have stolen a march, accorduing to Russian website Championnat, with Zinchenko keen to leave Russian football in the next transfer window.

The teenager was expected to be called up by Ukraine for their internationals in March but was omitted amid claims that he missed out because he plays for a Russian club and the political tension between the two countries.

Chelsea 'keeper Courtois coy over club future

BRUSSELS • Thibaut Courtois has refused to give any assurances when asked about his long-term future while on international duty with Belgium.

The 23-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, admitted Chelsea's unexpectedly troubled season had changed him, and was diplomatic when asked if he would leave the London club in the summer.

Asked if he will remain with Chelsea beyond the end of the season, Courtois said: "I do not say yes, I do not say no. I do not know. I still have three years on my contract. We must see what Chelsea want.

"It is true that (this season) has changed me. Until now I had always won a trophy every season. We hope that next season will be better."

The goalkeeper, who missed several weeks of the campaign after undergoing knee surgery in September, insisted he has never doubted his ability even in testing times.

"Especially mentally, you have to be strong," said the former Genk goalkeeper, whose sister and both parents have all played volleyball at a high level.

"But with my character, and having grown up in a family of top athletes, I do not have too many problems with it. I never doubt."

Courtois is with the Belgium national team preparing for tomorrow's friendly against Portugal - a fixture that was switched to Leiria having initially been cancelled for security reasons in the wake of the Brussels terror attacks - and he believes he is training at a higher standard with his international colleagues than when with his club.

"The level of training is higher among the Devils (Belgium)," he said. "There are only world-class players (here), while at Chelsea there are some players a little less rated and we often train with youngsters."

Courtois is one of a host of English Premier League-based Belgium stars to have suffered injury-plagued seasons, along with his Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard, Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen and the Manchester City pair Vincent Kompany and Kevin de Bruyne.

And that is not something that has come as a surprise to the former Atletico Madrid loanee. "We have matches every three days, no winter break, there are many cup matches," he said. "The pace is high and the contacts are tough."

Chelsea’s demise and Leicester’s rise creates stunning Premier League title race

THIS is one of the most intriguing English Premier League title races in history and that’s largely due to three factors.

Two of them are the demise of Chelsea and, to a lesser extent Manchester United, which has allowed for a strange looking top four, and the third is the fairy tale that is Leicester City.

In a world of heavyweights always battling it out for the title, Leicester’s story has just been the most amazing and refreshing one. The Foxes have spoiled the party, and they’ve spoiled it in style.

When Claudio Ranieri took over from Nigel Pearson, who saved Leicester from relegation last season, there was some criticism, but he’s brought a successful counter-attacking style. Leicester let the opposition have possession, even when they play the big teams, and they counter-attack with amazing speed.

The spine of the team is very strong, with Kasper Schmeichel, the son of a legend, outstanding in goal. Then they’ve got experienced campaigners Robert Huth and Wes Morgan at the back and one of the best midfielders all season in Kante, complimented by Danny Drinkwater in the middle of the park. Not to mention the attack of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, which has just been scintillating.

They’re a team that Ranieri has got believing in themselves. But in the last four or five games it’s been their defence, not their attack, that has shone. Whereas a month ago it was all about Vardy and Mahrez, at the moment it’s all about Schmeichel, Morgan and Huth.

They’ve got a great culture and work ethic in that team, which has taken them to extraordinary heights - only second on goal difference to Arsenal at the top of the table.

Everyone is waiting for the Leicester bubble to burst, none more so than Arsenal and Manchester, the favourites to take out the title.

Arsenal just play amazing football - the Arsene Wenger philosophy and style has never been more evident than with this current team. The wait for the Premier League title has been excruciating for the fans, but this could be their time. They’ve got an amazing squad full of talent, finesse, movement and pace. Players like Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, now Joel Campbell, and to think Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla are still to return from injury.

The squad looks like it has the depth to deal with Champions League and FA Cup, but dare I say the Premier League will be Wenger’s prime target.

Then on the other side you’ve got City, who have a lot of flair themselves in players like David Silva and Sergio Aguero, but they have more power than Arsenal and that power comes principally through Yaya Toure. They’ve got a strong spine as well, but the problem for City is if they want to win the title, they need to keep Vincent Kompany fit. The stats of goals conceded are amazing when he plays and doesn’t play.

Then they’ve got fantastic supporting men in Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling so, like Arsenal, it’s a squad able to deal with all competitions.

The only other team I would suspect is capable of challenging for the title are Tottenham, but they are the dark horses. Mauricio Pochettino has got a very young team and there’s a revelation in there with Dele Alli.

I have to mention Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, the clubs who have surprised by their various failures this season.

Chelsea, unbeatable last year, are now in all sorts of turmoil. They’re not playing for each other and it looks like it’s going to take a massive transitional period at the end of the season to change it around.

For United, it’s just a lack of style. For the team that plays at the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford, fans demand not only winning, but winning in style. That’s what United’s success under Ferguson was built on and what’s happening this season is just not good enough.

As for Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers should never have been given the cheque book a second time. They allowed it to happen and now you have the disaster of another season gone, at best Europa League spot, and another rebuilding for years ahead with Jurgen Klopp now in charge.

My top four prediction? Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Leicester.

Premier League weekend team news

SATURDAY (3.0pm unless stated)

Tottenham (4) v Sunderland (18) - Live BT Sport 1, 12.45pm
Tottenham have an unchanged squad. Mousa Dembele returned from an ankle problem in Wednesday night’s loss to Leicester, but fellow midfielder Ryan Mason remains out with an ankle injury. Clinton Njie has been struggling with a knee problem, while Alex Pritchard is nearing fitness after four months out with an ankle problem.

New signing Dame N’Doye will not be available for Sunderland as he awaits his work permit. The 30-year-old striker completed his loan move from Turkish side Trabzonspor on Thursday, but cannot be included in Sam Allardyce’s squad until the paperwork is completed. Fellow new boy Jan Kirchhoff will be among Allardyce’s pool of defenders along with Billy Jones, who suffered a cut to his head at Swansea in midweek, while midfielder Jack Rodwell could return from a hamstring problem.

Last season: Tottenham 2 Sunderland 1, Sunderland 2 Tottenham 2
Last five league matches: Tottenham W W W D L; Sunderland L L L W W
Top scorers (all competitions): Harry Kane (Tottenham) 14; Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) 12
Match odds: H 30-100 A 9-1 D 17-4
Referee: Mike Dean

Bournemouth (16) v Norwich (15)
Bournemouth winger Matt Ritchie is rated as 50/50 by manager Eddie Howe to be available against Norwich after suffering a dead leg in the midweek defeat to West Ham. Striker Lewis Grabban is in line to face his former team having left the Canaries on Monday. Defender Tommy Elphick has started training again following a serious knee injury but will not be rushed back. Forwards Callum Wilson and Max Gradel also both continue their long-term rehabilitation.

Norwich will be without midfielder Gary O’Neil, who is suspended following his red card in the midweek defeat at Stoke. Full back Ivo Pinto is not expected to be in the squad as the Portuguese defender continues to settle following his transfer from Dinamo Zagreb. Manager Alex Neil reported no fresh injury worries, with fit-again winger Matt Jarvis pressing for a recall having come off the bench at the Britannia Stadium, along with Nathan Redmond.

Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Bournemouth W D L D L; Norwich W L W W L
Top scorers (all competitions): Junior Stanislas & Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) 10; Nathan Redmond & Jonny Howson (Norwich) 4
Match odds: H 17-20 A 16-5 D 5-2
Referee: Robert Madley

Chelsea (14) v Everton (11) - Live Setanta Sports 1
Eden Hazard remains out with a groin injury, but could return for the January 24th clash at Arsenal. Striker Radamel Falcao has been out since October with a thigh problem and is continuing his rehabilitation.

Midfielder Tom Cleverley is rated as 50-50 to be fit. The England international has missed the last two matches with a calf problem and will be assessed late on. James McCarthy, who has featured just once in the last seven weeks, is edging closer to full fitness after a groin problem but will not be considered and neither will right back Seamus Coleman.

Last season: Chelsea 1 Everton 0, Everton 3 Chelsea 6
Last five league matches: Chelsea W D D W D; Everton L W L D D
Top scorers (all competitions): Diego Costa & Willian (Chelsea) 8; Romelu Lukaku (Everton) 19
Match odds: H 3-4 A 7-2 D 11-4
Referee: Mike Jones

Manchester City (3) v Crystal Palace (8)
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini will select from the same squad that drew 0-0 with Everton on Wednesday. Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demechelis will continue in central defence in the absence of captain Vincent Kompany (calf) and Eliaquim Mangala (hamstring). Striker Wilfried Bony is also still out with a calf issue and midfielder Fernandinho will miss out with a muscle problem. Playmaker Samir Nasri remains a long-term casualty after undergoing hamstring surgery in November.

Connor Wickham is expected to return to Alan Pardew’s starting XI. The striker played 45 minutes after coming on as a substitute in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa having recovered from a calf injury. Pardew is, however, still without Yannick Bolasie, owing to a leg injury, and Dwight Gayle remains a doubt, despite returning to training following a hamstring problem.

Last season: Crystal Palace 2 Man City 1, Man City 3 Crystal Palace 0
Last five league matches: Man City L W D W D; Crystal Palace W D D L L
Top scorers (all competitions): Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) 12; Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) 5
Match odds: H 4-11 A 7-1 D 4-1
Referee: Jon Moss

Newcastle (19) v West Ham (5)
New signings Jonjo Shelvey and Henri Saivet are in the Newcastle squad and could be handed debuts after completing moves from Swansea and Bordeaux respectively. They could be joined in the 18 by fellow midfielder Rolando Aarons (foot) and striker Emmanuel Riviere (knee) after both played for the club’s under-21s on Thursday evening. Defender Steven Taylor (hamstring) is back in training, but midfielder Siem de Jong will be sidelined for up to two weeks after being rushed to hospital with an eye injury suffered in training. Striker Papiss Cisse could miss eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a groin injury.

Andy Carroll will miss West Ham’s trip to his former club. The striker suffered a hamstring injury at Bournemouth on Tuesday night and will be out for four to six weeks, joining Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho (both thigh) on the sidelines. Victor Moses is fit after six weeks out with a hamstring problem while Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate have shaken off the knocks which kept them out midweek.

Last season: Newcastle 2 West Ham 0, West Ham 1 Newcastle 0
Last five league matches: Newcastle D L L L D; West Ham D D W W W
Top scorers (all competitions): Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle) 8; Dimitri Payet & Michail Antonio (West Ham) 6
Match odds: H 11-8 A 19-10 D 12-5
Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Southampton (12) v West Brom (13)
Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama is back in contention for Southampton after suspension but Ronald Koeman was not giving anything about whether he will start. The Saints manager has no fresh injury worries ahead of the game but Gaston Ramirez is still out with a hamstring injury and Florian Gardos remains on the sidelines with a knee problem.

West Brom manager Tony Pulis may make “one or two changes” after monitoring his players’ fitness levels in a light training session on Friday. The Baggies stayed in Southampton after their 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Tuesday and Rickie Lambert will be back in contention after missing that game through illness. Jonas Olsson will be one of the players Pulis monitors before the game as he has just come back from a hamstring problem and James Morrison will be unavailable after coming off after playing only seven minutes on Tuesday due to a similar injury.

Last season: West Brom 1 Southampton 0, Southampton 0 West Brom 0
Last five league matches: Southampton L W L L W; West Brom L L W W D
Top scorers (all competitions): Graziano Pelle (Southampton) 9; James Morrison & Saido Berahino (West Brom) 4
Match odds: H 8-11 A 19-5 D 13-5
Referee: Martin Atkinson

Aston Villa (20) v Leicester (2) - Live Sky Sports 1, 5.30pm
Captain Micah Richards could return for Villa after recovering from an ankle injury. The defender was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace with boss Remi Garde unwilling to risk him. Carlos Sanchez (hamstring), Gabriel Agbonlahor (back) and Jack Grealish (tonsillitis) have returned to training and are in contention but Alan Hutton (hamstring) is out and Jordan Amavi remains sidelined with his season-ending knee injury.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri could stick with the same side which won 1-0 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday. Jeff Schlupp is out with a hamstring injury but is expected back by the end of the month while Matty James is closing in on a return after a long-term knee injury.

Last season: Leicester 1 Aston Villa 0, Aston Villa 2 Leicester 1
Last five league matches: Aston Villa D D L L W; Leicester W L D D W
Top scorers (all competitions): Scott Sinclair (Aston Villa) 6; Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 15
Match odds: H 23-10 A 6-5 D 23-10
Referee: Roger East

SUNDAY

Liverpool (9) v Manchester United (6) – Live Sky Sports 1, 2.05pm
Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren will not be fit to return because of a hamstring injury sustained at Stoke earlier this month, while none of the other players on a lengthy injury list are close to fitness. Striker Daniel Sturridge, who has been out since the start of December with a similar problem, is still not ready to make his comeback.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is a major doubt for Manchester United. The German missed Tuesday night’s draw at Newcastle with a knee injury and despite making good progress is expected to remain on the sidelines. Phil Jones could return from his ankle problem but Antonio Valencia (foot), Luke Shaw (leg), Marcos Rojo (shoulder) and Michael Carrick (knee) are all definitely still out.

Last season: Liverpool 1 Man Utd 2, Man Utd 3 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Liverpool L W W L D; Man Utd L L D W D
Top scorers (all competitions): Christian Benteke (Liverpool) 7; Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) 11
Match odds: H 13-10 A 21-10 D 23-10
Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Stoke (7) v Arsenal (1) – Live Sky Sports 1, 4.15pm
Xherdan Shaqiri will once again be missing for Stoke. The Swiss playmaker sat out Wednesday’s win over Norwich because of a hamstring strain but there is hope he can feature against Leicester next weekend, while Geoff Cameron (ankle) is highly doubtful for the Gunners’ visit too. Marko Arnautovic (hip) is fine to feature and while Stephen Ireland (hamstring) and Phil Bardsley (groin) could also be in the squad, Marc Muniesa is still missing.

Arsene Wenger is yet to decide whether to hand Mohamed Elneny his Arsenal debut after the Egyptian midfielder joined the Gunners on Thursday. Wenger also has a decision to make over Alexis Sanchez, admitting he would be taking a risk by playing the Chile forward who is fit after recovering from a hamstring injury, while Jack Wilshere (leg), Francis Coquelin, Danny Welbeck and Santi Cazorla (all knee) are definitely out.

Last season: Arsenal 3 Stoke 0, Stoke 3 Arsenal 2
Last five league matches: Stoke L W W L W; Arsenal W L W W D
Top scorers (all competitions): Marko Arnautovic & Jonathan Walters (Stoke) 7; Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 18
Match odds: H 3-1 A 10-11 D 5-2
Referee: Craig Pawson

MONDAY

Swansea (17) v Watford (10), Live Sky Sports 1, 8.0pm
Swansea have won their appeal against Kyle Naughton’s red card in the 4-2 defeat at home to Sunderland so he should feature against Watford. Angel Rangel would deputise if the appeal proves unsuccessful, but Alan Curtis has a fully-fit squad to choose from as he attempts to win for only the second time as Swansea manager.

Watford will have defender Nathan Ake available again following suspension. Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores could freshen up his side following what was a third successive Premier League defeat at Southampton on Wednesday night, when defender Craig Cathcart, midfielder Ikechi Anya and Colombia forward Victor Ibarbo all came off the bench. Defenders Tommie Hoban (groin) and Joel Ekstrand (knee) remain unavailable.

Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Swansea D W D L L; Watford W D L L L
Top scorers (all competitions): Andre Ayew (Swansea) 7; Odion Ighalo (Watford) 13
Match odds: H 6-4 A 2-1 D 21-10
Referee: Michael Oliver