PREMIERSHIP PREVIEWS
LIVERPOOL v ASTON VILLALiverpool face a goalkeeper crisis ahead of a game that could be as crucial as the midweek visit to Chelsea. With Chris Kirkland still weeks away from recovering from a broken finger, now Jerzy Dudek is suffering from a groin strain he picked up at Stamford Bridge and it's not certain if Dudek will be able to play against Villa.
Even if Houllier decides to risk him it could cause further damage. The Liverpool manager admits: "We have a goalkeeping problem if Jerzy is not fit and I have to bring someone else in."
If Liverpool don't get a keeper in for this one they will have to go with 23 year old Patrice Luzi, who made his debut when he came on against Chelsea. If he has to select him, Houllier will be confident that his re-born team will offer the new keeper enough protection against a Villa team that, Angel apart, hardly sets the scoring charts alight.
Another big question over this game is whether or not Houllier will unleash Michael Owen on Villa or rein him back further. The England striker has been out since October but was on the bench for the game against Chelsea and although he warmed up was not involved. With Emile Heskey on fire I suspect that Owen will start the afternoon on the bench but will have a run out at some stage during the match.
With Villa facing their third game in six days David O'Leary looks set to rest one or two players although he has no major injury problems. Midfielder Peter Whittingham could miss out and his likely replacement will be Thomas Hitzlsperger. Another change could be Ronny Johnsen for Dion Dublin although I think the veteran striker-stopper was awesome against Portsmouth and would be more capable of handling a resurgent Heskey than the former Manchester United defender.
Top scorer Juan Pablo Angel has a slight ankle problem but looks certain to continue his partnership with Darius Vassell and full back Mark Delaney will continue to play through the pain barrier as he has a knee problem.
Villa will take heart from their win over Pompey that took them, at the time, up to sixth place and earned the side a bonus, from Doug Ellis, for the first time in more than two years. Villa are one of the in-form teams at present and in their unbeaten run of five games they have picked up 13 points, but Liverpool have finally secured some self-belief and should be too much for Villa, at Anfield.
BEARDO'S VERDICT: I go for a home win - and the bookies agree, offering 8/13 on a home win
LEICESTER v CHELSEA
This is one of the most intriguing games of the weekend. Leicester have been boosted by the arrival of Nikos Dabizas and he proved his worth when he helped his new club to a 0-0 draw at St Mary's on his midweek debut.
It was the first clean sheet of the season and drew praise from Micky Adams, who said: "It was not a fluke that Nikos coming into the side coincided with us keeping a clean sheet and we have no doubts about his credentials."
Leicester certainly need something as their porous defence has already leaked 31 goals this season and they will need all Dabizas' experience as they face a Chelsea side that is the joint second-highest scorers in the Premiership with 36.
Having said that, Sunday's visitors to the Walkers Stadium have become a bit shot-shy in recent months. Since early November Chelsea have scored just 16 times in 13 matches and five of those came in two games, Portsmouth and Watford. Frank Lampard, arguably their player of the season, so far, agrees goals are a problem, saying: "We have to score goals and have not been scoring frequently enough. That's down to the whole team not just the strikers. We must start scoring again."
Chelsea lost ground in the title race with that Liverpool reverse. It left them four points behind second-placed Arsenal and seven adrift of Manchester United so they need to take advantage of Leicester's current plight and the fact that The Foxes have won just one of their last six home games while Chelsea have picked up ten points out of 18 over the same number of away games.
Claudio Ranieri saw Hernan Crespo limp off against Liverpool with a calf-injury so with Adrian Mutu goalless for 13 games I wonder if it will be an unlucky 13 for Leicester if the Romanian is retained in the side.
BEARDO'S VERDICT: I think Chelsea will have too much for Leicester and go for an away win. Bookies' bet on the away win is 4/7 on.
CHARLTON v WOLVES
Another crucial game, for both sides, and it could be said that an entire season depends on a victory in this one.
Charlton are pushing, against all the odds, to claim fourth place and the Champions League qualification that would earn while Wolves are fighting the odds, and history, to stay in the Premiership. They were just 12 minutes away from a win over Blackburn that would have lifted them off the bottom of the table until Dwight Yorke, a transfer target for Dave Jones, popped up with an equaliser.
A Charlton win, and they have lost just once at The Valley in the last six games, would not only strengthen the Addicks' self-belief that they belong in the top six but would also virtually condemn Wolves to the drop, before the end of January.
Conversely, if Wolves were to snatch three points the whole squad might just roll up their sleeves like Alex Rae, who looks the only 'Wolf' up for the scrap.
Paul Ince, who has missed the last two games with a virus, is fighting to get fit. Paul Butler has also been suffering from the same virus but has managed to play through the hindrance but he misses this game as he serves a one-match suspension. Steffen Iversen will definitely be missing as he sustained a thigh problem against Blackburn.
Wolves have not adjusted to the Premiership and their away record, six defeats out of the last six, doesn't offer much optimism for anything but another reverse. However the two sides may just cancel each other out, though I doubt it.
BEARDO'S VERDICT: I have to go for a home win. Bookies have Charlton at 8/15 for the three points.
