Skipper Cesc Fabregas is hoping to return from injury in the match at Manchester United next Monday. The Barclays Premier League top two are set to slug it out at Old Trafford on 13th December. But United's home has not proved a happy hunting ground recently for Arsene Wenger's Gunners - who last won there in 2006, losing four and drawing one of their five encounters since. Inspirational captain Fabregas, currently out with a hamstring injury sustained in the UEFA Champions League defeat against Braga two weeks ago, wants to be back to give the Gunners a helping hand in the crunch meeting. He said: "I'm happy to say everything is going according to plan with my rehabilitation. We've tried some new treatments and hopefully they can make a difference. My hamstrings are feeling good, and my body feels good and rested. The Manchester United game is the target, so hopefully we can make it happen."

 Gerard Houllier has reiterated that he would love to be reunited with Michael Owen at Villa Park. The former England striker played under Houllier for six years at Liverpool, with the pair both departing Anfield in 2004. And the Aston Villa manager has made no secret of his admiration for Owen, who will be out of contract at Manchester United in the summer. The French tactician said: "I would love to bring him here. He would be good for the group and has a joyful attitude to playing."


 Barnsley manager Mark Robins has revealed he is hopeful of extending Garry O'Connor's loan spell from Birmingham. The 27-year-old striker is due to play the final match of his current stint next weekend against Sheffield United but Robins wants to keep him at Oakwell for a third spell. "He has worked hard and has done very well for us. We remain hopeful that something can be done," he said. "I've been talking to Garry and his representative. We will see what happens after this loan period." O'Connor joined the Tykes on an initial one-month loan in September before returning for a second spell in November.


 Manager Sam Allardyce singled out midfielder David Dunn as a crucial part of his side's surge up the Barclays Premier League table after their traditional new year revival started early at Ewood Park. Dunn opened the scoring against Mick McCarthy's beleaguered Wolves and further strikes from Brett Emerton and Ryan Nelsen helped Rovers wipe the memory of last week's 7-1 Old Trafford defeat from their system. Allardyce said: "David scored nine goals and was a very important part of our success story last year, but it's about making sure we look after him. When David's fit he's very important to the team, not just as a player but as a person."



 Goalkeeper Matt Gilks admits he is no nearer to earning a new contract and would be open to a move to another Barclays Premier League club. The 28-year-old shot-stopper's current deal is set to expire at the end of the season but he has not signed new terms at Bloomfield Road. Gilks, formerly of Rochdale and Norwich, is keen to remain a top-flight player but believes this may not be with the Seasiders. "The Premier League is the league to play in in the world and that's what I want to do," he said. "There's no reason why I don't think I can do that. Obviously I'm out of contract at the end of the season and I don't think we're close to getting anything sorted. If I have to move on hopefully it will be to another Premier League club because I think I need to stay in the league." 


 Bolton have taken huge strides this year under Owen Coyle but he is not contemplating a place in Europe next season. He said: "I only look from one week to another. We are not one of those elite clubs that have a long-term plan."



 Petr Cech feels that a couple of freak results over recent weeks, notably a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland and 1-0 reversal against Birmingham, have made Chelsea's current situation look worse than it actually is. "There are two games which make the larger picture look worse," said Cech, whose side have not won in four league matches. "Sunderland was a game where everything went wrong from the first minute to the last minute, we didn't create chances, couldn't press, couldn't win challenges. They had so many chances that the score in the end was right. You can have games like that during the season and I can accept that, so we can leave that game out. The other one is Birmingham, 31 shots on goal, 10 on target, you can't ask for more, there is nothing more we could do to score a goal. It is one of those things that happens, but they came in successive games which looks bad."


 Leighton Baines played down his man-of-the-match performance at Chelsea - instead choosing to congratulate his manager for reaching a special landmark. The 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge was David Moyes' 400th match in charge at Goodison Park and - thanks in part to Baines' contribution - the Scot was able to reflect on the milestone fixture with positivity. The Blues defender showed his class going forward and his mettle as a defender and his assist for Jermaine Beckford's equaliser was an inspired moment. Yet after the match Baines shunned the limelight and instead paid tribute to his long-serving manager. "Not many stay in a job that long these days," the left back told the club's official website. "It is a rare achievement. The manager is highly thought of by the players, the board and the fans. He has done a fantastic job at the club. He is probably a bit frustrated at the moment but he knows he has got a good group of players here and we are trying to put things right - hopefully we can now do that sooner rather than later."


 John Pantsil is prepared to take on a new position at Fulham if it helps him earn a new contract. The Ghana international is set to see his current deal with the Cottagers expire at the end of the season, but he hopes to be offered fresh terms. He has seen first-team opportunities severely restricted this term, with the likes of Stephen Kelly and Chris Baird blocking his path to a right-back berth. Pantsil, though, believes he is capable of operating in a number of positions and has called on Mark Hughes to give him a chance. He feels that if he were given more of an opportunity to impress, he could show just how much playing for Fulham means to him. "I can play other positions, and you can't be selfish about where you want to play," he said. "I can play right wing if wanted, as well as centre-back. But I think I have a future here at Fulham. When I came here I said to myself here's a club where I want to finish my career, or finish my contract in the UK. But I still have to keep going and fight for a position."


 Fabio Aurelio believes the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher from the team means other players have to take more responsibility. "Hopefully we won't miss them on the pitch and we can show what we can do," said Aurelio. "I think always when you wear a Liverpool shirt you have a responsibility. We just have to concentrate and do our best. It is not just me because I am one of the more experienced players, everyone has this same approach."


 Mario Balotelli's agent has dismissed claims that the Manchester City striker is set to leave the club for AC Milan. "Balotelli went to City and will remain there for several years. It is impossible for him to join Milan in June, almost impossible," Mino Raiola said. "He went to City with a strong commitment to (Roberto) Mancini and he should thank him for his confidence. But, the fate of Mario doesn't depend on Mancini." 


 Manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Ryan Giggs can carry on for another season. The veteran winger, 37, who has made just 10 appearances this term due to a hamstring injury, hinted on Saturday that this season could be his last at Old Trafford. But Ferguson believes, such is Giggs' fitness, that there is another year left in the Welsh wizard. However, he believes the situation is different for fellow veteran Gary Neville, who is again struggling with injury. Ferguson said: "Ryan is unbelievable - he's 37 years of age but his fitness has not changed. I think there is another year in him. It is difficult to say at that age because they can hit the buffers just like that. Ryan will want to carry on because he knows he is fit enough. It is different with Gary. We will have to assess him. He has an injury again and it is difficult when you get injuries all the time in your 30s."


 Steven Taylor wants to move on from the 3-1 defeat to West Brom on Sunday. He said: "We've got to put this game to bed now, and move on. If we cut the errors out, we won't go far wrong. As a team, away from home we've got to be more resilient. We've conceded eight goals in two games away from home. That's what we've got to improve on - we got picked off. We've got a tight squad here, with a good team spirit, and we've got to move on."



 Stoke City are giving the Olympic dreams of local athletes a massive boost by setting up a fund to support their quest to compete at the 2012 London Games. Chairman Peter Coates launched the North Staffordshire 2012 Aspiring Athlete Fund with a £20,000 donation from the Barclays Premier League club to provide crucial financial backing for those who are training and competing for a place at the Olympics and Paralympics. City will invite people to make nominations of athletes who are considered to be worthy of financial support to help them win selection for the 2012 London Games. "We consider it very important to support sporting talent in other fields who have the potential to bring further recognition to the region," explained Coates. "There are a lot of young people out there with the dedication and commitment to achieve excellence in their particular sport and I am sure with more financial support they can fulfil their dreams of competing at the Olympic Games in this country. We have seen as a club that sporting success can generate a feel good factor within the region and we hope this funding will help others to achieve that too. In the current economic climate, there has been a squeeze on funding due to cutbacks, so I am sure this money can help to make a difference to the needs of individuals and if there are local companies who want to support the fund then it would be welcome." Athletes who wish to be considered for the funding must live or compete in North Staffordshire and must also be currently representing Great Britain or a Home Country. Applications must be made before Friday 31st December and should be sent to the North Staffordshire 2012 Aspiring Athlete Fund, Stoke City Football Club, Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent.



 Manager Steve Bruce has paid tribute to the bravery of central defender John Mensah, who played through the pain barrier to help Sunderland to a 1-0 win over West Ham. Mensah is still nursing the shoulder he dislocated last month and Bruce said: "To play like he did again and to put himself on the line with his shoulder is quite remarkable really. There are only special players like him who can do it. He is playing with a protective harness, but still when he goes over and he gets a bash on it, he is in pain."



 Harry Redknapp has rubbished talk he is interested in Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor. He said: "I've never made any enquiries for Adebayor whatsoever. I keep seeing in the papers that we're after him. I've never ever asked about him or enquired about him." 


 Peter Odemwingie is convinced West Brom will survive in the top flight but will not be content with the bare minimum in terms of achievement. He said: "I hope we will not settle for the minimum. There will be a time when we get the points we need (to stay up). If we don't relax then, we can fight to be high in the table. The minimum is to stay in the Premier League but, inside of me, I'm really hoping we can do something that will really make us happy for the holidays after the season. If we were a team that struggles to get points, or only wins by one goal, I would be saying that's the target (staying up). But, with the way we play sometimes, we can go for more."


 Matthew Upson admitted Sunderland had out-boxed West Ham United during a closely-fought Barclays Premier League bout at the Stadium of Light. England midfielder Jordan Henderson landed the knockout blow, sending a rising first-time drive past Robert Green's out-stretched right glove eleven minutes before half-time. Captain Upson conceded that, had the match been a boxing match, the Black Cats would have won a marginal decision despite a spirited display from the Hammers. "We don't really feel like we laid too much of a glove on them, at least as much as we wanted to," he said. "It was a decent performance but we're a little bit disappointed coming away from a game where perhaps we could have thrown a bit more at them and created a bit more and possibly taken some points."



 Roberto Martinez is planning on being creative when it comes to new signings during the transfer window in January. The Latics manager has been busy in the last three windows, bringing in 16 fresh faces to the club. It has been a season of struggle this term with Martinez's side third from bottom in the table following Saturday's 2-2 draw with Stoke. Martinez is relishing the challenge of turning around their campaign, although he knows the New Year activity will be a crucial period. The Spaniard is keen to ascertain how much he can spend in January as he is planning on being creative and doing what he can on a budget. "It's a challenge," explained Martinez. "It's clear that we're a club that has learnt to do it in a very specific way. We're a small, family football club and we enjoy the challenges. You're looking at the performance of the second half and there's character, spirit and talent. If I didn't see that I wouldn't be enjoying it. I like to know where we are in terms of the budget and then be creative with the signings. In the last three windows we've brought in 16 players. We've got some of the most talented young players you'll see and that fills me with excitement. We're in a period that with injuries and suspensions, it's making it a little bit hard, but it's an enjoyable challenge and the second half gives me optimism for the future."


 Stephen Ward believes Wolves emerged from a similar situation as they are in now last season - and will do it again. Saturday's disappointing defeat at Blackburn left the Molineux Men three points adrift of the Barclays Premier League safety zone, a gap which could have extended by the time they tackle Birmingham on Sunday lunchtime. "We're all gutted and bitterly disappointed but we have to regroup and get ready for Sunday," said Ward. "The manager wasn't happy with the result but we're in a situation now where we're the only ones who can get ourselves out of it. They can make additions to the squad in January but I think it's up to us. We were in a similar position last year and we got out of it and we still believe we can stay in the league - maybe we need to start winning ugly. We had a long meeting after the game on what we need to do and it starts today to get ready for Sunday. We don't just resort to playing long balls but I think maybe that's what we need to do sometimes like Blackburn. They play to their strengths and they punished us on Saturday. It's up to us to regroup as a squad of players and knuckle down and get results like we did last year."