Saturday, November 7

Blackpool (7) v Scunthorpe (18)

Blackpool are boosted by the return of Charlie Adam, who missed last weekend's 3-3 draw at Doncaster through suspension.

Ishmel Demontagnac serves the second game of a three-match ban while Neal Eardley faces a late fitness test on a knee injury. Daniel Nardiello is in contention but Stephen McPhee (knee) and Danny Coid (leg fracture) remain long-term absentees.

Scunthorpe defender Rob Jones has declared himself available after a back injury and should resume his partnership with David Mirfin. Striker Gary Hooper and midfielder Josh Wright have both picked up a virus and are unlikely to be involved. Marcus Williams is struggling with a leg injury and normal left-back deputy Ian Morris has a knee problem, so George Friend could make his debut. Ben May (ankle) remains sidelined.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Blackpool L W W D D; Scunthorpe L W W L L

Top scorers (all competitions): Charlie Adam & Ben Burgess (Blackpool) 5; Gary Hooper & Grant McCann (Scunthorpe) 6

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear)

Crystal Palace (13) v Middlesbrough (8)

Palace will be without Paddy McCarthy as the Irish centre-half continues to struggle with a damaged shoulder.

Striker Freddie Sears is pushing to start after impressing as a half-time substitute at QPR on Tuesday on his return from a groin injury. Calvin Andrew (knee) is still out.

Isaiah Osbourne could make his Boro debut after joining on loan from Aston Villa. Andrew Taylor (ankle) is closing in on a return but Chris Riggott remains on the sidelines.

Skipper Emanuel Pogatetz is out for six weeks with a fractured cheekbone while Jeremie Aliadiere (ankle), Seb Hines (knee), Caleb Folan (hamstring) and Matthew Bates (cruciate ligament) again miss out.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Crystal Palace D L D D D; Middlesbrough W L W D L

Top scorers (all competitions): Darren Ambrose (Crystal Palace) 9; Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough) 9

Referee: James Linnington (Isle of Wight)

Leicester (4) v West Brom (2)

Leicester's squad is unchanged. Defender Aleksandar Tunchev remains the only absentee as he recovers from a knee operation. Ryan McGivern, Michael Morrison, Yann Kermorgant, Steve Howard and DJ Campbell are available should manager Nigel Pearson wish to freshen up his starting XI.

West Brom midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu has returned to training after a slight knee problem. Mulumbu is set to come in for Gonzalo Jara while Roman Bednar and Chris Brunt are in the frame after playing for the reserves in midweek.

West Brom's only absentees are long-term victims James Morrison (heel), Ishmael Miller and Neil Clement (both knee).

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Leicester D D W W W; West Brom D W L D W

Top scorers (all competitions): Matt Fryatt (Leicester) 10; Chris Brunt (West Brom) 4

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)

Newcastle (1) v Peterborough (23)

Steven Taylor returns for Newcastle after missing four games with a hamstring injury while loan signing Zurab Khizanishvili serves the second game of a three-match ban. Joey Barton and Shola Ameobi (both foot) are the only other absentees.

Peterborough goalkeeper Joe Lewis will go straight into the starting XI after serving a one-match suspension. Striker Craig Mackail-Smith could return after an ankle injury while left-back

Tom Williams (ankle) is still out. Midfielder Paul Coutts could be in contention to start after a foot injury.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Newcastle D L L W W; Peterborough L D L W L

Top scorers (all competitions): Kevin Nolan (Newcastle) 8; George Boyd (Peterborough) 10

Referee: Andy D'Urso (Essex)

Nottm Forest (10) v Bristol City (5)

Forest will again be without strike trio Dexter Blackstock (ankle), Robert Earnshaw and Nathan Tyson (both calf).

Defenders Joel Lynch and James Perch will have benefited from another week of full training following illness and a shin injury respectively.

Defender Bradley Orr is poised to return to City's starting line-up after missing last weekend's draw with Sheffield Wednesday with a calf injury.

He could replace midfielder Cole Skuse who has been deputising. Liam Fontaine is again set to sit out with an ankle injury while Brian Wilson (shin) is a long-term absentee.

Last season: Nottm Forest 3 Bristol City 2, Bristol City 2 Nottm Forest 2

Last five league matches: Nottm Forest W W W D D; Bristol City D D W W D

Top scorers (all competitions): Dexter Blackstock (Nottm Forest) 6; Nicky Maynard (Bristol City) 10

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

Plymouth (22) v Doncaster (19)

Plymouth skipper Carl Fletcher is suspended meaning Karl Duguid is set to return to the centre of midfield alongside

Yoann Folly. Craig Noone, recalled from his loan spell at Exeter this week, could start on the right. Alan Judge (knee) and David Gray (groin) are racing to be fit, but Rory Fallon (calf) should return.

Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll is set to gamble on the fitness of striker Billy Sharp (knee) and midfield pair Martin Woods (groin) and Simon Gillett (hamstring).

O'Driscoll is still without skipper Brian Stock (knee) and central defenders Adam Lockwood (foot) and Byron Webster (elbow), so Sam Hird will resume alongside on-loan Jason Shackell at the heart of the defence.

Last season: Plymouth 0 Doncaster 3, Doncaster 1 Plymouth 0

Last five league matches: Plymouth W L L D W; Doncaster D L W L D

Top scorers (all competitions): Jamie Mackie (Plymouth) 4; Billy Sharp (Doncaster) 5

Referee: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire)

Reading (21) v Ipswich (24)

Reading boss Brendan Rodgers is set to name an unchanged side but Jimmy Kebe could return to the squad after a groin problem.

Forward Noel Hunt had surgery on his knee last week and is expected to be out for some time while left-back Chris Armstrong is still recovering from knee surgery of his own. Julian Kelly (shoulder) is also out.

Ipswich defender Liam Rosenior will face his parent club after the Royals gave permission for him to play. Gareth McAuley (thigh) remains sidelined while fellow defender Tommy Smith is out with a hand injury.

Striker Connor Wickham is available after international duty while midfielder David Norris (knee) remains sidelined. Winger Luciano Civelli is still out with knee ligament damage.

Last season: Reading 0 Ipswich 1, Ipswich 2 Reading 0

Last five league matches: Reading L L L L W; Ipswich L D D D W

Top scorers (all competition): Grzegorz Rasiak (Reading) 3; Jonathan Walters (Ipswich) 4

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)

Sheff Wed (14) v QPR (6)

Wednesday welcome back skipper Darren Purse, Mark Beevers, Sean McAllister, Akpo Sodje and Etienne Esajas after all five missed last week's draw at Bristol City due to a virus.

Tommy Miller andFrancis Jeffers have also shaken off the illness. Midfielder Michael Gray will miss out again due to a hamstring strain.

Gavin Mahon (hip) and Damion Stewart (ankle) are back in the QPR squad. Mahon should reclaim his place in midfield but Stewart may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Matt Connolly is back in training after a bout of glandular fever but will not feature, while Lee Cook, Alessandro Pellicori (both knee), Angelo Balanta (hernia) and captain Martin Rowlands (cruciate) remain sidelined.

Last season: QPR 3 Sheff Wed 2, Sheff Wed 1 QPR 0

Last five league matches: Sheff Wed L W L L D; QPR W W W L D

Top scorers (all competitions): Marcus Tudgay (Sheff Wed) 6; Akos Buzsaky, Wayne Routledge & Jay Simpson (QPR) 6

Referee: Nigel Miller (Durham)

Swansea (11) v Cardiff (3)

Swansea boss Paulo Sousa is buoyed by a near clean bill of health although midfielder Ferrie Bodde remains a long-term casualty with a knee injury. Albert Serran (match fitness) and Guillem Bauza are not going to be considered. Sousa will again go with just one striker - Craig Beattie - leaving Lee Trundle on the bench.

Cardiff will be without Michael Chopra (suspended) and Stephen McPhail (thigh) while Peter Whittingham (knee) is also an injury doubt. Ross McCormack should start his first match since mid-August in place of Chopra.

Last season: Cardiff 2 Swansea 2, Swansea 2 Cardiff 2

Last five league matches: Swansea W D W D W; Cardiff W D W W D

Top scorers (all competitions): Craig Beattie (Swansea) 5; Peter Whittingham & Michael Chopra (Cardiff) 12

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Watford (12) v Preston (9)

Heidar Helguson is pushing to make his first start since rejoining Watford almost two months ago. The on-loan QPR striker returned from a calf injury as a substitute in last weekend's 5-0 defeat at West Brom.

Boss Malky Mackay will be without midfielder Ross Jenkins (back) while defender Jay DeMerit is still missing following eye surgery. Goalkeeper Richard Lee (knee) is a doubt.

Preston skipper Callum Davidson is in contention after returning to full training after two months out with a hamstring injury. Barry Nicholson remains a long-term absentee with a broken leg, but Richard Chaplow is set to shake off a shoulder injury.

Last season: Preston 2 Watford 0, Watford 2 Preston 1

Last five league matches: Watford L W D W L; Preston D L W D D

Top scorers (all competitions): Danny Graham (Watford) 6; Chris Brown & Neil Mellor (Preston) 7

Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire)

Monday, November 9

Barnsley (17) v Sheff Utd (15)

Barnsley will be without suspended skipper Stephen Foster, meaning manager Mark Robins must choose between either Bobby Hassell or O'Neil Thompson to fill in. Robins has no other new injury or suspension problems.

United's mounting absentee list has claimed three more victims with Kyle Walker (ankle), Chris Morgan (suspended) and Jordan Stewart (calf) set to miss out.

Manager Kevin Blackwell was already without Gary Naysmith, Derek Geary, Nick Montgomery, Andrew Davies (all knee), Richard Cresswell (ribs), Jamie Ward (wrist), Lee Williamson (back), Andrew Taylor (thigh) and Paddy Kenny (drugs ban).

Last season: Sheff Utd 2 Barnsley 1, Barnsley 1 Sheff Utd 2

Last five league matches: Barnsley W W L L W; Sheff Utd D L L L L

Top scorers (all competitions): Daniel Bogdanovic (Barnsley) 5; Darius Henderson (Sheff Utd) 5

Match odds: H 6-4 A 6-4 D 21-10

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)