Benteke dropped by Villa for Blues clash; Nasri back for City

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Benteke dropped by Villa for Blues clash; Nasri back for City

Aston Villa v Chelsea

Christian Benteke has been dropped by boss Paul Lambert as the striker paid the price for Aston Villa’s poor goal return.

Villa have not scored in the Barclays Premier League for 10 hours and 12 minutes ahead of the visit of Chelsea.

Benteke is benched with Gabby Agbonlahor recalled along with Aly Cissokho and Ashley Westwood with Kieran Richardson out completely and Carlos Sanchez a substitute.

Chelsea name new signing Juan Cuadrado on the bench after his arrival from Fiorentina.

Gary Cahill returns with Didier Drogba as Kurt Zouma and Loic Remy drop to the bench.

Aston Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho, Cleverley, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Gil.

Subs: Vlaar, Bacuna, Cole, Given, Sanchez, Benteke, Sinclair.

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Drogba.

Subs: Cech, Zouma, Ake, Mikel, Cuadrado, Loftus-Cheek, Remy.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)

***

Leicester v Crystal Palace

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson make five changes to his side ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium.

In the wake of a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United, Pearson recalls Paul Konchesky, Matty James, Esteban Cambiasso, Riyad Mahrez and David Nugent, dropping Ritchie de Laet, Danny Drinkwater, Jamie Vardy, Andy King and Andrej Kramaric to the bench.

Palace show two changes from the side beaten 1-0 at home to Everton last weekend, with Alan Pardew bringing in Wilfried Zaha and Jordon Mutch for Yaya Sanogo and Marouane Chamakh, the latter out with a broken nose.

Leicester: Schwarzer, Simpson, Morgan, Wasilewski, Konchesky, Mahrez, Cambiasso, James, Schlupp, Nugent, Ulloa.

Subs: De Laet, Drinkwater, Vardy, King, Albrighton, Hamer, Kramaric.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, McArthur, Ledley, Mutch, Puncheon, Gayle, Zaha.

Subs: Mariappa, Hangeland, Guedioura, Sanogo, Campbell, Hennessey, Murray.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)

***

Man City v Hull

Playmaker Samir Nasri returns as champions Manchester City host Hull in the Barclays Premier League.

The Frenchman is back after a three-game absence with a calf injury while Pablo Zabaleta also returns and the team reverts to playing two strikers, with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko up front.

Out-of-form Hull, who have lost their three previous league games, received international clearance in time to name deadline day signing Dame N’Doye on the bench alongside fellow striker Nikica Jelavic.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Kompany, Clichy, Nasri, Fernando, Fernandinho, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko.

Subs: Milner, Kolarov, Caballero, Jesus Navas, Lampard, Mangala, Jovetic.

Hull: McGregor, Dawson, Bruce, McShane, Meyler, Livermore, Huddlestone, Elmohamady, Ramirez, Brady, Aluko.

Subs: N’Doye, Davies, Hernandez, Jelavic, Harper, Robertson, Quinn.

Referee: Jonathan Moss (W Yorkshire)

***

QPR v Southampton

Caretaker manager Chris Ramsey recalls Adel Taarabt to the QPR starting line-up for his first game in charge at home to Southampton.

Taarabt was declared not fit enough to play by former boss Harry Redknapp, and the Moroccan forward is brought back into the side, along with Steven Caulker, Armand Traore and Matt Phillips.

Ronald Koeman makes three changes to the Southampton team that lost to Swansea last weekend as Matt Targett, Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane are all handed starting spots.

QPR: Green, Traore, Dunne, Hill, Caulker, Phillips, Onuoha, Barton, Fer, Taarabt, Austin.

Subs: McCarthy, Isla, Kranjcar, Henry, Vargas, Zamora, Zarate.

Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Targett, Wanyama, Steven Davis, Ward-Prowse, Mane, Elia, Pelle.

Subs: Kelvin Davis, Schneiderlin, Gardos, Tadic, Reed, Seager, Flannigan.

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)

***

Swansea v Sunderland

Swansea’s Ki Sung-yueng is back after a five-week absence from leading South Korea at the Asian Cup to feature against former club Sunderland at the Liberty Stadium.

New signing Jack Cork comes in for his debut in a re-shaped Swansea midfield and Modou Barrow makes his first Barclays Premier League start, with Jay Fulton, Tom Carroll and Marvin Emnes dropping out from the side which won 1-0 at Southampton last weekend.

Sunderland also make three changes after the FA Cup fourth-round win at Fulham in midweek with goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, midfielder Sebastian Larsson and former Swansea striker Danny Graham drafted in with Vito Mannone, Emanuele Giaccherini and Steven Fletcher all named on the bench.

Swansea: Fabianski, Naughton, Williams, Fernandez, Taylor, Ki, Cork, Dyer, Shelvey, Barrow, Gomis.

Subs: Amat, Carroll, Nelson Oliveira, Rangel, Tremmel, Fulton, Montero.

Sunderland: Pantilimon, Reveillere, O’Shea, Vergini, Van Aanholt, Gomez, Bridcutt, Larsson, Alvarez, Graham, Defoe.

Subs: Brown, Fletcher, Johnson, Coates, Giaccherini, Mannone, Agnew.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

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CourtsSoccerHeathrowPlace: LancashirePlace: King Power StadiumPlace: WiltshirePlace: Liberty StadiumPerson: BentekePerson: NasriPerson: Christian BentekePerson: Paul LambertPerson: Gabby AgbonlahorPerson: Aly CissokhoPerson: Ashley WestwoodPerson: Kieran RichardsonPerson: Carlos SanchezPerson: Juan CuadradoPerson: Gary CahillPerson: Didier DrogbaPerson: Kurt ZoumaPerson: Loic RemyPerson: GuzanPerson: HuttonPerson: OkorePerson: ClarkPerson: CissokhoPerson: CleverleyPerson: WestwoodPerson: DelphPerson: WeimannPerson: AgbonlahorPerson: GilPerson: VlaarPerson: BacunaPerson: ColePerson: GivenPerson: SanchezPerson: SinclairPerson: CourtoisPerson: IvanovicPerson: TerryPerson: CahillPerson: AzpilicuetaPerson: RamiresPerson: MaticPerson: WillianPerson: OscarPerson: HazardPerson: DrogbaPerson: CechPerson: ZoumaPerson: AkePerson: MikelPerson: CuadradoPerson: Loftus-CheekPerson: RemyPerson: Neil SwarbrickPerson: Nigel PearsonPerson: PearsonPerson: Paul KoncheskyPerson: Matty JamesPerson: Esteban CambiassoPerson: Riyad MahrezPerson: David NugentPerson: Ritchie De LaetPerson: Danny DrinkwaterPerson: Jamie VardyPerson: Andy KingPerson: Andrej KramaricPerson: Alan PardewPerson: Wilfried ZahaPerson: Jordon MutchPerson: Yaya SanogoPerson: Marouane ChamakhPerson: SchwarzerPerson: SimpsonPerson: MorganPerson: WasilewskiPerson: KoncheskyPerson: MahrezPerson: CambiassoPerson: JamesPerson: SchluppPerson: NugentPerson: UlloaPerson: De LaetPerson: DrinkwaterPerson: VardyPerson: KingPerson: AlbrightonPerson: HamerPerson: KramaricPerson: SperoniPerson: WardPerson: DannPerson: DelaneyPerson: KellyPerson: McArthurPerson: LedleyPerson: MutchPerson: PuncheonPerson: GaylePerson: ZahaPerson: MariappaPerson: HangelandPerson: GuediouraPerson: SanogoPerson: CampbellPerson: HennesseyPerson: MurrayPerson: Lee MasonPerson: Samir NasriPerson: Pablo ZabaletaPerson: Sergio AgueroPerson: Edin DzekoPerson: Dame N’DoyePerson: Nikica JelavicPerson: HartPerson: ZabaletaPerson: DemichelisPerson: KompanyPerson: ClichyPerson: FernandoPerson: FernandinhoPerson: SilvaPerson: AgueroPerson: DzekoPerson: MilnerPerson: KolarovPerson: CaballeroPerson: Jesus NavasPerson: LampardPerson: MangalaPerson: JoveticPerson: McGregorPerson: DawsonPerson: BrucePerson: McShanePerson: MeylerPerson: LivermorePerson: HuddlestonePerson: ElmohamadyPerson: RamirezPerson: BradyPerson: AlukoPerson: N’DoyePerson: DaviesPerson: HernandezPerson: JelavicPerson: HarperPerson: RobertsonPerson: QuinnPerson: Jonathan MossPerson: Chris RamseyPerson: Adel TaarabtPerson: TaarabtPerson: Harry RedknappPerson: Steven CaulkerPerson: Armand TraorePerson: Matt PhillipsPerson: Ronald KoemanPerson: Matt TargettPerson: Victor WanyamaPerson: Sadio ManePerson: GreenPerson: TraorePerson: DunnePerson: HillPerson: CaulkerPerson: PhillipsPerson: OnuohaPerson: BartonPerson: FerPerson: AustinPerson: McCarthyPerson: IslaPerson: KranjcarPerson: HenryPerson: VargasPerson: ZamoraPerson: ZaratePerson: ForsterPerson: ClynePerson: YoshidaPerson: FontePerson: TargettPerson: WanyamaPerson: Steven DavisPerson: Ward-ProwsePerson: ManePerson: EliaPerson: PellePerson: Kelvin DavisPerson: SchneiderlinPerson: GardosPerson: TadicPerson: ReedPerson: SeagerPerson: Roger EastPerson: Ki Sung-yuengPerson: Jack CorkPerson: Modou BarrowPerson: Jay FultonPerson: Tom CarrollPerson: Marvin EmnesPerson: Costel PantilimonPerson: Sebastian LarssonEvent: Barclays Premier LeagueEvent: Asian CupEvent: FA CupOrganisation: VillaOrganisation: BluesOrganisation: City TeamOrganisation: Aston VillaOrganisation: ChelseaOrganisation: FiorentinaOrganisation: LeicesterOrganisation: Crystal PalaceOrganisation: Manchester UnitedOrganisation: PalaceOrganisation: EvertonOrganisation: Man CityOrganisation: HullOrganisation: Manchester CityOrganisation: W YorkshireOrganisation: QPROrganisation: SouthamptonOrganisation: SwanseaOrganisation: SunderlandOrganisation: South KoreaOrganisation: Fulham
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