The Physio Room - Injury Update

With the new Premier League season only four days away, spare a thought for the English Premier League clubs' physios and medical teams and their 'healing hands.'



However following three nights of rioting in London, England's friendly at Wembley tomorrow night against the Netherlands has been postponed on police advice - which in the light of the seriousness of the trouble is in my opinion the correct decision.



The FA chairman David Bernstein said the FA had consulted with the police, Government and Brent Council, and in a statement said: "We were unable to host the fixture under the terms of our safety certificate or guarantee the safety of the fans."



I am sure there is a peculiar, almost selfish sense of relief on the part of any club manager who had players involved in the England set-up, so close to the opening weekend of the English Premier League season, but no satisfaction in the reason for the postponement.



The English Premier League is littered with 'foreign players' from all over the world, and there are still plenty of international fixtures involving them on Wednesday and Thursday. On that note tonight's game between Ghana and Nigeria at Vicarage Road, Watford has also been postponed for safety reasons. As well as full internationals there are a number of UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifying games being played tonight and tomorrow.



International teams involved in friendlies with Premier League players on their books include: Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, Bulgaria, Australia, Croatia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Denmark and the USA.



Those managers with players involved will be praying all of them return from international duty injury free.



Meanwhile there is a full programme of English Premier League fixtures this weekend, so here is your chance to catch up on which players are definitely out injured, who is doubtful or struggling, and who will be fit to play for their clubs. Also some players are carrying over suspensions picked up at the tail end of last season, so they will also be unavailable for selection.



There are some Premier League teams who have players that are already out before a ball has been kicked, and other clubs have players that are struggling to be fit for the opening fixtures this weekend.



Some of the more high profile players carrying injuries at the moment include: Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshire, Aston Villa's Darren Bent, Tottenham's Rafael Van Der Vaart (right), Manchester United's Danny Welbeck , Liverpool's Glen Johnson and Chelsea's Frank Lampard.



Click on the 'link' to find out the latest on your Club's injury woes, and how soon it will be before some of your teams players will be back in action.



Those players that are definitely ruled out through suspension include: Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge (right), Manchester City's Kolo Toure, and Everton's Seamus Coleman.

Blackpool have hardest task on epic final day - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It has been a massive season for Blackpool and they now have to do things the hard way as they travel to Manchester United on the final day of the season.

Ian Holloway's side have been the entertainers of the Premier League since their promotion last year, and have received rave reviews from the football world for their adventurous, attacking style of play.
However things have been tough for the Tangerines since the turn of the year, and they are 9/2 with Betfred to record a shock victory at United on Sunday.

They now sit in the bottom three on goal difference, knowing a win is vital if they wish to retain their Premier League status, but United are unbeaten at home this season, dropping just two points out of a possible 54 at home, and will be keen to give the Old Trafford faithful a tremendous send-off as they celebrate winning their record 19th league title.

There are numerous permutations surrounding the final weekend of the season and any two teams from five could be relegated depending on results elsewhere.

A point could be enough for Blackpool (and it is 10/3 the draw at fortress Old Trafford), if Birmingham lose at Tottenham, and/or Wolves lose at home to Blackburn by two goals or more. Should Wolves beat Blackburn then only an 'unexpected' Blackpool victory would see them overtake Rovers.

The Premier League betting odds understandably favour Blackpool to be relegated as have the toughest final game against United, and Betfred go 4/11 that they will be plying their trade in The Championship next season.

What must worry fans of the Seasiders is they have a notoriously leaky defence and travel to a United side capable of scoring a hat-ful, even if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to put out a weakened side with one eye on the Champions League final next week.

Even if Ferguson leaves out some of his star names then those that take to the field will be out to impress the Scotsman, and show him why they deserve a place in the Champions League final squad - so it could be a long old afternoon for Blackpool.

Alex McLeish's Birmingham side are 5/1 to win at White Hart Lane and 8/13 to be relegated in the Premier League betting, but The Blues have been on a shocking run of form of late, recording just two wins in their last twelve league games!

The other team in the relegation mix that we have not yet mentioned are Wigan, who travel to Stoke in their final fixture of the campaign. The Latics have the same number of points as Blackpool but an inferior goal difference than all of their relegation rivals, albeit a marginal one.

It would be close to a a miracle if Blackpool survive – but Ian Holloway is without doubt the man you would most want in charge of a team in a relegation dogfight on the last day of the season.

It has been a breath of fresh air having the Seasiders in the Premier League, but they look set to be one-season wonders but their fans will have been left with some unforgettable memories.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Expect wins for United (4/7), Spurs (4/7), Wigan (17/10) and Wolves (6/5) in the vital games, which would see Birmingham and Blackpool join West Ham in dropping down to the Championship.

Sunday 22nd May:

Manchester Utd v Blackpool, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1.
Tottenham v Birmingham City, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 2.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Clash of the Titans at Old Trafford - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It has been billed from all quarters as potentially the Premier League title-deciding game of the season, so let's hope Manchester United versus Chelsea is an exciting encounter that lives up to all the pre-match hype.

On countless occasions, the most-hyped Premier League matches tend to disappoint, but when these two sides met at Stamford Bridge back on the 1st March, it was a classic!

The Champions League games failed to match these heights, but the fate of this particular game is very much in Chelsea's hands, as it is they who need to come out fighting and take all three points, if they want to keep their back-to-back title ambitions alive. The Premier League betting makes the Londoner's 9/4 to win the game.

A few months ago Chelsea were on course to drop 18 points behind their Manchester rivals, when they went 1-0 down to United at Stamford Bridge, but they came back to win that game 2-1, and it immediately boosted the confidence around the club, and they have been in sparkling form ever since.

Having taken 25 points from a possible 27 available, the Blues' are snapping at the heels of United, knowing a win at Old Trafford on Sunday and they can draw level with their rivals - and that is something that looked a long shot back in February when they were still in their slump.

If Chelsea can hit top spot with two games remaining the impetus would be with them, but United always manage to step up in the important matches and that is why they cannot be discounted, especially at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are 5/4 to win the match and 2/9 to win the Premier League with Betfred.

Most tipsters in the Premier League title race make United favourites to regain the title, particularly as Ferguson's men have the luxury of knowing a draw on Sunday will be good enough to keep them three points clear, with just a couple of games to play.

Chelsea captain John Terry reckons he "always believed" they could get back into the title race, but they are still outsiders to win the title as United have looked fairly solid, if not setting the world on fire, for many months now.

Chelsea, who are 3/1 to win the title, managed to win this fixture at Old Trafford last season, and the England defender reckons there is "no reason" why they cannot go on and repeat that feat again, and put the outcome of the Premier League title race firmly in their own hands!

My Tip of the Week:

Expect Chelsea to go hell for leather for the win, but United should manage 'their usual trick' and get the goals to hold their rivals. A draw is priced at 23/10, but a 2-2 scoreline also looks appealing at 14/1.
Meanwhile United's on-fire Mexican striker Javie Hernandez is 6/4 to score at anytime in the match, and add to his 19 goals already this season.

Sunday 8th May: Manchester United v Chelsea, kick-off 4.10pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Tale of Two Woes at the Reebok - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It is a clash of two wounded animals on Sunday in the Premier League as Bolton look to bounce back from their FA Cup humiliation at the hands of Stoke, and Arsenal will be out to make amends for dropped points at Spurs in midweek.

Many Bolton fans, especially the thousands that travelled to Wembley, expected the Trotters to beat the Potters and make it to the FA Cup final. That 5-0 semi-final defeat must have hurt and it even led Bolton captain Kevin Davies to admit he was "ashamed and embarrassed" by the performance.

With seemingly little to play for over the remaining games, as Bolton are safe from relegation and too far away to challenge for a place in Europe, it would be understandable if they took their foot off the gas.

But Owen Coyle is an ambitious and ferocious manager who will have been bitterly upset with the Stoke result, so you can be left in no doubt his side will be fired up when Arsenal arrive at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday and the Premier League best odds make the Trotters 4/1 to win the game.

The Gunners have also had a disappointing week, after conceding a late-late penalty to draw with Liverpool last Sunday, and then surrendering a two-goal lead at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night. Arsenal got just two points from those two games when it could easily have been six, and their title hopes could have gone up in smoke as a result.

Those looking to bet on Premier League weekend games should remember this:

Arsenal have dominated this fixture in recent season and you have to go back to November 2006 for the last time Bolton managed to beat the North London side, with the travelling team 8/11 to win again.

Both managers (Wenger and Coyle) will use their recent results as motivation to go for the win, but Arsenal could enter this fixture with some trepidation, as anymore dropped points will almost certainly spell the end of any lingering title dreams they may have.

My Tip of the Week:

Arsenal look good to score a couple of goals, so 7/1 for either a 2-0 or 2-1 win to the Gunners looks a good shout.
Robin Van Persie is in a rich vein of form since his return from injury, and he is a tempting 11/10 to score at anytime.

Sunday 24th April: Bolton v Arsenal, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Battle of the Strikers on the Cards at Anfield - Betting News with Betfred

V.

It is a clash of two teams aiming high and somewhat underachieving when Liverpool take on Manchester City on Monday night at Anfield.

Roberto Mancini's side had Premier League title aspirations, but are looking off the pace although they still look set for a respectable top four finish. They also have a Manchester derby to look forward to on the 16th April - the prize, a place in this seasons FA Cup final.

Both are something Liverpool fans would sell their souls to the devil for this season, but another season of Thursday night Channel Five action in the Europa League seems the best they can hope for.

Kenny Dalglish has been dealt a triple blow this week after defenders Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson were injured at The Hawthorns last weekend.

Centre-back Agger picked up a knee problem that has ended his season, while Johnson injured his hamstring, sidelining the right-back out for at least a month.

To add to Dalglish's woes it has been confirmed that captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for the rest of the season after failing to fully recover following a groin operation.

The absence of that trio comes at the worst possible time for 'The Reds' in their chase for a Europa League spot, as they take on the multi-million pound attacking talent City (15/8 to win the game, 11/5 the draw) have at their disposal.

Liverpool (6/4 to win the game with Betfred) have only lost twice at Anfield this season and need to bounce back from that 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend.

Their home form has been the backbone of their campaign and will remain key if they are to make up the five-point gap they have to fifth-placed Tottenham and the weekend Premier League betting suggests this will be a massive game.

Last time out in their 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, Roberto Mancini named Adam Johnson, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez (11/2 to be first goal scorer) in his attacking line-up, and even had the luxury of Edin Dzeko and Shaun Wright-Philips on the bench.

The side now look solid Premier League tips for a top four finish, and if results go their way they could even end up the season as Premier League runners-up.

With Liverpool's new strike force of Andy Carroll (11/2 to score the first goal) and Luis Suarez, along with City's forward prowess, it has all the makings of goalscoring bonanza!

My Tip of the Week:

This should be an action-packed game between two attacking sides, so the 11/10 with Betfred for there to be over 2.5 goals in the game looks like a good option, while the 11/8 for Luis Suarez to score at anytime is also appealing.

Monday 11th April: Liverpool v Manchester City, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)