Right, time for a last minute information overload. Let’s scan the morning’s papers and do a compare and contrast on their predicted team-sheets for the weekend. As always, you can get our view on the likely lineups via our team news section but read on for a second, third and fourth opinion…
Starting with the dear old Sun and they put Ramsey in the Arsenal midfield for the suspended Song – not a bad shout. They have Shawcross failing his fitness test for Stoke, with Faye restored to the starting lineup. Whelan starts for the suspended Whitehead in midfield. Downing starts for Villa in their lineup, with Milner moving to central midfield. There’s no David Dunn in their Blackburn team – the Sun go with Roberts and Di Santo up front. In the Liverpool lineup, it’s Aurelio over Benayoun. Their City side has Tevez keeping his place in a 4-4-2, with Bellamy, Barry, Ireland and Wright-Phillips all fit to start. James returns in the Portsmouth goal. At Upton Park, the Sun see Ferguson starting with Berbatov up front and Giggs in midfield. The Everton defence will have Hibbert alongside Yobo according to them. Rodwell also makes the midfield, while Harry goes with Keane and Defoe up front. Kenwyne Jones makes the Sunderland eleven with Bent in tandem. Dempsey is pushed back to midfield with Nevland and Zamora leading the attack. Murphy also starts.
The Guardian also goes with Ramsey in the Arsenal midfield, with Nasri starting on the right of the front three. Shawcross is tentatively in the Stoke team with no place for Faye. Once again, Downing starts for Villa in this paper, with Milner moving to a central role. There’s no Dunn in their Blackburn lineup – they also go with 4-4-2 with Roberts and Di Santo. Benayoun is in the Liverpool eleven, with Aurelio left out. Tevez starts in a 4-4-2 for City – Robinho comes in for Bellamy. The Guardian doesn’t see James being available, so Begovic starts in goal for Pompey. It’s Berbatov and Rooney up front for United, with Nani out wide and bizarrely, no place for Fletcher, as Giggs takes a central midfield role. Hibbert starts with Yobo in Everton’s central defence, with Keane partnering Defoe for Spurs. Jones returns to the Sunderland attack, with Richardson ousting Henderson in central midfield. The Guardian go with Zamora and Nevland up front for Fulham – Dempsey goes wide in midfield and Murphy comes back in the centre.
The Times, once again, looks the most accurate to these eyes. They see Wenger opting for Nasri and Rosicky in midfield in the absence of Song. Shawcross starts in the Stoke lineup with no place for Faye. Whelan again starts in the Stoke midfield. The Times are another who go for Downing in the Villa lineup (bad news for Sidwell so far) and there’s no Dunn for Blackburn. As for Liverpool, this broadsheet feels that Rafa will start with Benayoun over Aurelio. It’s a 4-5-1 for City against Chelsea, with no place for Tevez. Robinho also misses out as Bellamy keeps his place. Interestingly they also see Kompany remaining in the City defence with Bridge missing out. James is fit enough to start in goal according to the Times. There’s no place for Berbatov in the United lineup again though – it’s another 4-5-1 from Ferguson with Scholes keeping his starting role. Everton’s defence comprises of Hibbert alongside Rodwell, while Spurs go with Crouch over Keane up front. Finally, at the Cottage, the Times doesn’t see Jones making it for Sunderland, while Dempsey and Zamora lead the Fulham attack. Murphy and Davies both start in midfield.
That’s it then. Take it all in. Take a deep breath. Make those team changes and good luck for another gameweek.