Bottom club West Ham United welcome Champions Manchester United at Upton Park this weekend in a match that is important for both the clubs for different reasons.
While West Ham look forward to claim the points to stay clear of the relegation zone, a victory would reduce the gap between United and the league leaders Chelsea.
West Ham have struggled badly in the Premier League so far. After finishing in a respectable ninth place last season, Gianfranco Zola’s team are currently battling relegation having picked up just 14 points from as many matches – leaving them in 17th spot.
Having beaten Aston Villa, drawn with Arsenal and lost only narrowly to Tottenham and Liverpool already this season, Zola insists he is relishing the visit of another of the league's big guns.
West Ham will be without England pair Carlton Cole and Matthew Upson.
Striker Cole is set to be out until the end of January with a knee ligament injury sustained in the Hammers' 5-3 win against Burnley last weekend, while centre-back Upson has not fully recovered from a hamstring strain.
Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami is missing with a knee injury while a muscle strain sidelines Luis Jimenez.
Alessandro Diamanti is back from a hip complaint and is in contention but Mark Noble is a doubt with a virus.
Manchester United’s youngsters recorded an important 2-0 League Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, but it will be the more established stars returning to the team for this trip to the capital.
Following Chelsea’s comprehensive 3-0 win over Arsenal, many pundits and observers have ruled the Gunners out of this season’s title race, which leaves just United as the challengers to what is starting to look like an unstoppable Blue machine.
The Red Devils are five points adrift at present, but as long as they can prevent the gap from worsening, Sir Alex Ferguson will remain confident given Chelsea’s predicted struggles when they lose key players like Didier Drogba and Michael Essien for January’s African Cup of Nations in Angola.
Edwin van der Sar is set to return to the Manchester United line-up for Saturday's trip to West Ham.
The veteran Dutchman has missed three games since injuring his knee in a collision with Everton's Tim Cahill at Old Trafford a fortnight ago but has now recovered and is expected to replace Tomasz Kuszczak.
Jonny Evans (calf) and John O'Shea (dead leg) are still sidelined, along with long-term casualties Rio Ferdinand (back) and Owen Hargreaves (knee).
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