Kieran Gibbs was doubtful for tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich but should be ready for the weekend. The same matters for the French midfielder Diaby who has been sidelined with a thigh injury. Unfortunately for Arsenal Jack Wilshere has run into an ankle injury and is ruled out for three weeks by Arsene Wenger. Bacary Sagna is the last man on the injury list struggling with a knee injury.

Both Marc Albrighton and Darren Bent are still out with foot injuries and will not be available this week. The same type of injury is haunting Chris Herd who is out for the season, along with Gary Gardner and Richard Dunne. Karim El Ahmadi is doubtful for the match against Queen Park Rangers with an ankle injury. Furthermore, Stilian Petrov has now been confirmed diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Bans: 1

Fabian Delph is serving his last day of his 2 match ban.

CHELSEA FC

Injuries: 1

Oriol Romeu is the only injured in the Chelsea squad at the moment. The defensive player is out with a knee injury.

Bans: 0

EVERTON FC

Injuries: 3

Tony Hibbert is out with a calf injury, and will be sidelined for a couple of weeks more. Meanwhile, Everton will also have to do with out Tim Howard as he is sidelined with a back injury until early April. On the bright side, Phil Jagielka is now rated doubtful and can be in play for the Manchester City match.

Bans: 0

FULHAM FC

Injuries: 4

Eyong Enoh and Kerim Frei are still in lack of match fitness while both Mahamadou Diarra and Neil Etheridge are out until April.

Bans: 0

LIVERPOOL FC

Injuries: 4

Liverpool is still out with the two knee injured defenders Martin Kelly and John Flanagan while Fabio Borini is out for the rest of this month. Goalkeeper José Reina is doubtful for the Southampton match due to a calf injury.

Bans: 0

MANCHESTER CITY

Injuries: 5

Maicon and Micah Richards are both sidelined for an unknown period due to knee injuries. Sergio Aguero is also out with a knee injury, but is rated doubtful for the next match against Everton. The same matters for Vincent Kompany who has been out with a calf injury. Furthermore, Jack Rodwell is out for the rest of this month due to a hamstring injury.

Bans: 0

MANCHESTER UNITED

Injuries: 4

Nani was subbed off with a hamstring injury against Chelsea in the weekend, but is likely to return this weekend. Both Phil Jones and Paul Scholes are set to return this weekend, but is unlikely to play against Reading. The same matters for Darren Fletcher who probably won't play this season due to a critical illness.

Bans: 0

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Injuries: 6

Steve Harper is doubtful due to a knee injury while both Ryan Taylor and Haris Vuckic are sidelined with the same problems. The French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa picked up a dead leg against Anzhi and is rated doubtful for the match against Wigan. Tim Krul is the last man on the injury list, sidelined due to an ankle injury.

Bans: 0

NORWICH CITY

Injuries: 4

The Canaries' Andrew Surman and Alexander Tettey are both out with knee injuries. The first, for an unknown time and the latter for the rest of this month. John Ruddy is also sidelined and will not be in play for the Sunderland match while Anthony Pilkington is rated doubtful.

Bans: 0

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Injuries: 6

Queens Park Rangers are hopelessly lost in the bottom of the Premier League. However, within the next couple of weeks they might have some of the profiles back to help them. Tal Ben Haim, Julio César, Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are all rated doubtful for the weekend. Johnson, on the other hand, will be out for the rest of the season.

Bans: 0

READING FC

Injuries: 4

Reading will probably go into the weekend without a manager but will also be missing four players. Adam Federici is out with an ankle injury and not available. The same matters for Jason Roberts and Alex McCarthy while Jimmy Kebe is doubtful due to a groin injury.

Bans: 1

Russian Pavel Pogrebnyak is serving a 3 match ban.

SOUTHAMPTON FC

Injuries: 2

Steven Davies is rated doubtful due to illness while Daniel Fox is doubtful due to a knock.

Bans: 0

STOKE CITY

Injuries: 3

Stoke City is without Matthew Etherington due to a back injury. However, the player is likely to return for the weekends match against West Bromwich Albion.

Bans: 1

Robert Huth is banned for the match against WBA.

SUNDERLAND AFC

Injuries: 3

Emmanuel Adebayor, Clint Dempsey and Aaron Lennon are all in play for the Fulham match on Sunday. Meanwhile, both Sandro and Younes Kaboul are sidelined due to knee injuries.

Bans: 0

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Injuries: 4

Both Zoltan Gera and and George Thorne are out with knee injuries and not available for the Stoke match. However, the Baggies will be lucky to have both Shane Long and Steven Reid for the match.

Bans: 0

WEST HAM UNITED

Injuries: 6

Daniel Potts is out with a head injury for an unknown time and will not be playing this weekend. However, it is highly likely to see both Joe Cole, Mark Noble and James Tomkins in action. Both George McCartney and Kevin Nolan are rated very doubtful.

Bans: 0

WIGAN ATHLETIC

Injuries: 6

Albert Crusat and Iván Ramis are both out with knee injuries while both Ryo Miyachi and Callum McManaman are struggling with ankle injuries. The latter, however, is likely to figure on the match sheet this weekend. Michael Pollitt and Ben Watson are both unavailable this weekend.

Bans: 0

The Royals' owner Anton Zingarevich yesterday decided that Reading needs a new manager, and therefore, sacked Brian McDermott. However, the action might have come too late to save Reading from relegation.

Three years with the Berkshire club, ended last night for McDermott, the manager who brought Reading back in the Premier League after a remarkable run at the end of the last season. This season has not turned out as hoped for, and after the weekend's defeat against Aston Villa Reading seems very unlikely to make it for another season in the Premier League.

The solution for Anton Zigarevich has been to sack the manager, without finding a replacement. Not the best situation for at team struggling in the lower part of the table, but perhaps what is needed his kickstart a squad that seems to have lost faith.

Brian McDermott is not the only person to be blamed for Reading's de route. Earlier in this season Jimmy Kebe criticised the Chairman saying:

“The chairman has got the money, it’s not the manager who chooses whom he can buy or not.

It is clear that the club needs a few profiles and could have done well with a couple of signings this winter. This has not happened, and it is always cheaper to sack the manager than to buy a whole new team. The question is now, who will take over Reading and is it too late?

One of the names mentioned for the position is the Italian Paolo Di Canio who is currently unemployed after leaving Swindon. The Italian did well in Swindon, and despite his controversial reputation he might have the skills to lift Reading away from the bottom of the Premier League. However, with the Reading fixture it takes more than an Italian with League One experience. The next couple of weeks Reading will be facing Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. It looks more or less as a relegation for the Royals.

After a goalless draw in the first meeting between Newcastle and Anzhi the return match is fully open. The match of the week is between the Geordies and the Russian millionaires.

Europa League Round of 16

St. James Park

14-03-2013 @ 20.05 UK

Newcastle United have not had the same success as last season, currently positioned 13 in the Premier League with 33 points in 29 matches and a negative goalscorer of -10. However, the results have been better in the Europa League where they ended 2 in the group stages, just after Bordeaux.

The Russians from Anzhi Makhachkala is currently 2 in the Russian league with 41 points after 20 matches, 5 points after CSKA Moskva. In the Europa League,  they qualified for this stage of the competition after ending second in the group stages after Liverpool.

Pardew has already suggested a 'technical' starting line against Anzhi in order to make an impact against the Russian defends. Anzhi, on the other hand, will probably have the same starting XI as the last meeting, with Eto'o up front.

Elliott

Santon - Mapou - Taylor - Haidara

Cabaye - Tiote

Anita - Sissoko - Marveaux

Shola

_____________________________________________

Eto'o

Willian - Jucilei - Boussoufa

Akhmedov - Diarra

Eshchenko - João Carlos - Ewerton - Zhirkov

Gabulov

Being a Russian team Anzhi is to be considered one of the strongest in this year's Europa League. The Anzhi owner has spent a lot of money on some (elderly) stars, but they are capable of creating what is needed for a victory.

On the other hand, Mike Ashley, has also been out and brought in a French army. Some of them will be in play for this match, and have a great technical level which might give Anzhi problems.

I expect to see attacking football from both teams, but comparing the them I believe that Anzhi is strongest. Their players have more international experience than Newcastle and that might just be decisive for this match.

Pinnaccle gives back 19/12 for a Newcastle victory while Anzhi only gives 2 at BetVictor. SportingBet gives 23/10 back on a draw.

This week has been hard for Nicklas Bendtner. Since his drunk driving incident,  last weekend, he has been through the news mill. However, it is not the first time for the Dane.

May 2009: Nicklas Bendtner is so drunk that he needs help to keep his pants on, leaving the night club Boujis in London. Bendtner, who at the time is 21 years old, is fined by Arsene Wenger.

September 2009: On his way home from a training session, the Dane crashes his Aston Martin with around a 100 mph. Unlike many other incidents, Bendtner is not drunk.

November 2011: After a night full of alcohol, Bendtner allegedly attacks a hotel guest during a Danish national team gathering in Helsingør. How violent the attack actually was  never reached the surface, and the case was closed.

December 2011: Instead of following his new team mates in Sunderland, Bendtner is healing his thigh injury on a dance floor in Copenhagen. On his way home, he demands to get free pizza's as his credit card is not working.

December 2011: English Police arrests Bendtner and his team mate Lee Cattermole for vandalism. While being drunk, the two Sunderland players has vandalised a couple of cars outside Newcastle's home ground St. James' Park.