The Pre-Match Preamble

Wayne Rooney and Nani will start. Dirk Kuyt will be up front for Liverpool. Paul Scharner will be recalled to the Wigan midfield and Martin Petrov will be warming the bench for City. Unless you’ve bought the Daily Telegraph this morning that is.

Don’t get excited/panicked. Those are just some of the lineup predictions from this morning’s rags. Let’s take a look in a little more detail in our pre-match preamble…

The Guardian
This paper delivers quite a few bold predictions, not least the fact that they predict a full debut for City’s new signing Adam Johnson for the visit to Hull. There’s no place in their eleven for the much-fancied Martin Petrov. They also go with Kuyt up front for Liverpool with Gerrard just behind and Maxi and Riera on either flank. We get our first bout of reassurance on the United lineup wth Rooney and Nani both starters.

The Sun
Bolton will give a start to loan signing Jack Wilshere according to everyone’s favourite red-top. He starts for Muamba in a very attacking Bolton lineup. Likewise Wigan give a full debut to Victor Moses up front and, like the Guardian, they see Scharner being recalled to the midfield. The Sun also predict no place for Martin Petrov – they have Bellamy and Tevez either side of Adebayor up front. Again it’s Kuyt leading the line for Liverpool, although the Sun go for Aquilani in midfield with no place for Maxi. Rooney and Nani both start in their United lineup. The Chelsea vs Arsenal teamsheets are interesting. The Sun feel that Malouda will miss out with Mikel and Joe Cole recalled to midfield. Unlike the Guardian they don’t see Wenger going with Bendtner but sticking to a Nasri/Arshavin/Rosicky attacking three.

The Times
In contrast both Malouda for Chelsea and Bendtner for Arsenal are starters in the Times predicted lineups. They also see starts for Mikel and Eboue in this one. Again, there is no place for Petrov in the City lineup. The Times go with Wright-Phillips and Bellamy in the wide roles for the trip to Hull. It’s Kuyt up front with an identical predicted Liverpool lineup to the Guardian’s. Reassuringly both Nani and Rooney start in the United team, although the Times also go with Valencia on the opposite flank. The Times also agree on Paul Scharner – he is recalled to their Wigan midfield for the trip to Sunderland.

The Telegraph
This broadsheet appears to be standing on its own with its predictions. It goes with Bendtner in the Arsenal lineup but also has Malouda benched with Kalou and Joe Cole providing width either side of Anelka and Drogba. The Telegraph are the only one of my morning papers to predict that Martin Petrov will start for City – there’s no place for Bellamy in their lineup. They are also alone in thinking that David Ngog will start for Liverpool at Anfield, with Kuyt shifted wide right. Rooney and Nani are again starters for United. Unlike the other three, there’s no recall for Paul Scharner to the Wigan midfield.

Finally here are some factual nuggets courtesy of the Guardian and the BBC to digest over your pre-match Coco Pops…

• All those investing in the likes of Roger Johnson and Liam Ridgewell for their threat at set-plays will be interested to know that Birmingham have actually scored just two headed goals all season. The fewest in the league.
• He might be rusty from Angola but the stats show that Didier Drogba has ten goals in his last nine appearances for Chelsea against Arsenal.
• You may have the impression that the Everton defence has tightened up of late. You’d be right. However, their clean sheet at Wigan last weekend was their first in seven away games.
• Doubting a 0-0 at the Britannia? Well, Blackburn have kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches with Stoke. They have also failed to score in 11 games this season – more than any other side in the league. Rovers also have four 0-0 draws this season. The highest in the league. Stoke meanwhile have just 19 goals this season. The lowest in the division.
• I’m thinking again about Dawson for the Picks. Villa may have failed to score in four consecutive matches before the win at Fulham last weekend, but they’ve only failed to score in one away game all season.
• Evidence that City will face a fight at Hull – the home side have lost just one of their last nine league games at the KC while City have won just one of their last nine away games.
• Fancy Darren Bent against Wigan? The visitors have conceded 33 goals in their last 11 away league matches.
• Finally for all those without Rooney in their lineups today. Here’s something to think about for the next couple of hours. Rooney has scored 12 goals in nine games against Portsmouth in the league.

Enjoy your breakfasts. As usual we will be closing comments at around 10.30 this morning and opening up the Saturday Surgery chatroom. See you in there.