Saturday starts with a big change. This pre-match preamble posts contains all the usual ingredients – a big dose of team news analysis from the morning papers, followed by a the usual array of match facts to throw your last minute fantasy thinking in turmoil. This post does however bring about a big change.

The new comment system is to be introduced on this post and possibly on this post only. Please refer to this morning’s earlier post on how to get involved. In a nutshell – you need to register with IntenseDebate and log in with this account below in order to post a comment this morning. Your existing login will not work but you can change your display name to your existing name on this site, should your username be taken in IntenseDebate.

I’ve opened up the Saturday Surgery in the chatroom early should anyone need some help with this in real-time. I’ll be popping in there while I prepare breakfast.

Now, on with the Preamble…

The Guardian
Cesc Fabregas is out of the Arsenal lineup with Nasri, Diaby and Denilson occupying the midfield. Arshavin and Walcott flank Bendtner up front. Berbatov is recalled to the United starting lineup alongside Rooney. Nani and Valencia get the wide positions and it’s Rafael at right-back. Tim Cahill is in the Everton lineup, although they also opt for Yakubu up front with Saha missing out. Yobo is in their eleven alongside Distin with no place for Jagielka.

Johnson starts for Liverpool, as does Riera on the left of midfield. David Dunn makes a return to the Blackburn midfield, while Chimbonda starts at left-back and Emerton at right-back with Olsson and Salgado out of the eleven. Muamba and Wilshere are both included for Bolton, while Cohen is also predicted to start on the left having returned from suspension. There’s no place for Ricardo Gardner then. Steven Fletcher starts in the Burnley lineup with Thompson making way. Ferreira holds the left-back spot in their Chelsea lineup, despite news that Zhirkov is fit to return. Fuller, Whelan and Higginbotham all start for Stoke. Agbonlahor is in the Villa lineup alongside Carew. Vierra and Wright-Phillips come into the City midfield. Johnson drops out and Zabaleta shifts to right-back.

The Times
There’s no Fabregas in the Times lineup either and they go with Rosicky and Arshavin either side of Bendtner up front. It’s Berbatov and Rooney up front for United with both Nani and Valencia starters. Tim Cahill fails to make the Everton side but Donovan is recalled to replaced Osman in midfield. Saha fails to make it too, so Yakubu leads the attack once again.

Glen Johnson starts for Liverpool but for some reason the Times are predicting that Dirk Kuyt won’t start. They instead go for Benayoun who is injured. An oversight on their part clearly – not to be taken seriously. There’s no place for David Dunn in their Rovers lineup, while Salgado and Olsson keep the full-back roles. Muamba and Wilshere make the Bolton lineup and the Times join the Guardian in thinking that Cohen will gain a recall to the starting lineup. Fletcher is restored to the Burnley teamsheet. Yuri Zhirkov occupies the left-back role having returned from injury for Chelsea. Higginbotham returns at left-back for Stoke against Villa who have Agbonlahor in their eleven. The Times predict that Mancini will recall Ireland to the midfield and move Zabaleta to right-back at the expense of Richards. Adam Johnson retains his starting role with no place for Wright-Phillips.

The Daily Telegraph
Fabregas is again absent from the Arsenal teamsheet at Hull. This paper goes for Eboue as a the flanking player on the right with Arshavin on the left. Berbatov is safely in the United lineup and again, Nani and Valencia are starters. Neither Cahill nor Saha start for Everton but Donovan does come back in to the midfield at Birmingham.

Johnson is in the Liverpool lineup and the Telegraph keep Babel in midfield, along with Maxi. Aquilani also gets a start alongside Mascherano. David Dunn returns for Blackburn at Spurs. Emerton also gets a midfield start with Hoilett and Andrews missing out. Olsson and Salgado hold on to the full-back roles. Muamba and Wilshere both start for Bolton and Klasnic is preferred to Elmander up front. Cohen doesn’t start in this predicted lineup then. Fletcher starts for Burnley. The Telegraph, like the Guardian, also go with Ferreira at left-back for Chelsea. They also go with an unchanged Stoke lineup with no place for Ricardo Fuller. Agbonlahor starts for Villa. The Man City lineup is interesting in that Toure is recalled to the defence, allowing Kompany to move into midfield. There’s no Vierra then while Zabaleta is also excluded.

The Sun
Fabregas out for Arsenal of course as the Sun go with Walcott and Arshavin in the wide roles. Berbatov, Nani and Valencia all start for United at home to Fulham. Tim Cahill misses out for Everton but Louis Saha is in the lineup for their trip to Birmingham. Rodwell comes in for Osman in midfield. Johnson is a starter for Liverpool and the Sun go with Kuyt on the right and Maxi on the left. Both Lucas and Mascherano start. David Dunn is in the Rovers eleven with Andrews missing out. Again, Salgado and Olsson occupy the full-back positions. Muamba and Wilshere are fit to start with no place for Cohen in the Bolton midfield. Fletcher starts with Nugent up front for Burnley. Yuri Zhirkov is at left-back for Chelsea here. The Stoke lineup has Tuncay dropped to the bench and Fuller back on the teamsheet. Agbonlahor starts for Villa. Mancini starts with Ireland in midfield with Zabaleta starting for Richards at right-back.

Match Facts
Grab that coffee and and swig it down with some statistical pointers courtesy of the Guardian and the BBC match previews…

• Not a good omen for Steve Bruce. Sunderland have lost their last nine league meetings with Man City, while Craig Bellamy has scored more goals against them than any other Premier League side.
• Villa could well notch in their first double fixture. Surprisingly Stoke have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games at the Britannia.
• Fulham will be doing all they can to get Danny Murphy fit. He has scored five league goals against Manchester United, with the midfielder ending on the winning side every time.
• Things don’t look good for Hodgson’s side if he doesn’t start. United have gone 10 hours and nine minutes without conceding a home league goal. Fulham meanwhile have gone six hours and five minutes without scoring an away league goal.
• Avram Grant has faced Liverpool five times as a manager and has yet to lose a match but then again Portsmouth have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League for nine matches.
• Arsenal are averaging just under three goals a game over the last seven meetings with Hull City.
• Burnley have not kept a clean sheet at home since the visit of Hull in October, a run of eight matches. However they have scored in all 14 Premier League matches at Turf Moor.
• Bolton have failed to score in their five of their last seven Premier League meetings with Wigan but scored seven times in the other two games. They have lost only one of their last seven Premier League matches at the Reebok and have not conceded in their last three at home.
• Wolves have failed to score in seven of their last 10 league matches.
• Wigan have played eight league games since they last managed to score more than one in a match.
• Only one of Birmingham’s 12 league victories has come against a club currently in the top half of the division: a 1-0 win over Fulham during November. They have have kept ten clean sheets this season, but have only one in their last eight games.

That’s just about it from me then. Good luck to all those taking part in the First Round of the Fantasy Football Scout Cup. Also, for those who entered our Last Man Standing Tournament with Paddy Power – don’t forget to make your team selection.

As mentioned above, the chatroom is now open for those who need to ask questions regarding the comment system. Dugout Discussion will open up later with the first kick-off at White Hart Lane. See you in there.