12.03. (Mon) 21:00 Arsenal - Newcastle

PROBABLE LINEUPS

ARSENAL Szczesny Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs Arteta, Song, Rosicky Walcott, Van Persie, Oxlade-Chamberlain

NEWCASTLE UTD Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon Ryan Taylor, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez Ba, Cisse

Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey are ready to return in midfield for Arsenal, but might not both be immediately installed into the starting XI due to the impressive performances of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tomas Rosicky against AC Milan on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger is also boosted by the return of Andre Santos, who had spent three months out injured but has been training for six weeks. Kieran Gibbs is also available at left-back.

Abou Diaby will miss out but Yossi Benayoun could feature if he returns to training on Sunday.

Shola Ameobi could return after illness for Newcastle but Peter Lovenkrands has joined Sammy Ameobi and Leon Best on the sidelines. The Denmark forward is likely to miss the rest of the season after suffering a suspected ruptured thigh muscle.

Midfielder Sylvain Marveaux and defender Steven Taylor are other long-term absentees.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Arsenal have recovered well from the disastrous week that saw them suffer defeats to AC Milan and Sunderland in the Champions League and FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's team went on to beat Tottenham and Liverpool in league matches and came within a goal of overturning Milan's four-goal advantage with a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.

• The Gunners go into this match five points ahead of Newcastle in fourth place. A victory could leave them only a point behind Tottenham after Harry Redknapp's side were beaten at Goodison Park by Everton.

• Embroiled in speculation regarding the futures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Arsenal drew 0-0 with Newcastle on the opening day of the season. Gervinho (pictured) was sent off for tangling with Joey Barton, who has since left Tyneside for Queens Park Rangers.

• Arsenal have not beaten Newcastle in the Premier League in their last three meetings, last winning in March 2009, although they did emerge 4-0 winners in the League Cup last season.

• The fixture has not ended in a goalless draw at Arsenal since October 1999.

• Newcastle just have the edge in the historical head-to-head of the two sides. They have won 66 fixtures to Arsenal's 65, with 38 draws.

• Andy Carroll's goal was enough to secure a 1-0 victory last season at the Emirates Stadium in November 2010.

• Newcastle have not won consecutive games away to Arsenal since victories in 1956 and 1957, however.

• Before Carroll's winning goal, Newcastle had not won in any competition away to Arsenal since December 2001. Andy O'Brien, Alan Shearer and Laurent Robert scored the goals in a 3-1 win for the Magpies, though Arsenal went on to win the Double, knocking Newcastle out of the FA Cup along the way.

• Newcastle have taken advantage of three red cards awarded to Arsenal players in their last three meetings; Gervinho, Abou Diaby and Laurent Koscielny have all been dismissed.

Prediction

Arsenal are playing some of their best football of the season and if they can keep Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse in check, they should come away with three points here. Not often this season, due to injuries, have they had a surplus of attacking options but that will be the case here with players such as Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho potentially available from the bench.

Editor's Prediction

Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United

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11.03. (Sun) 21:30 Osasuna - Athletic Bilbao

Raul Garcia, Osasuna

PROBABLE LINEUPS

OSASUNA FernandezRoversio, Sergio, Flano, Raitala Punal, NekounamCejudo, Garcia, Lamah Nino

ATHLETIC BILBAO Iraizoz Iraola, San Jose, Martinez, Aurtenetxe Iturraspe, Herrera, De MarcosSusaeta, Llorente, Muniain

Osasuna coach Jose Luis Mendilibar has a selection crisis in attack with Ibrahima Balde and Dejan Lekic both out injured, leaving Nino as the only fit striker available for Sunday's visit of Athletic Bilbao.

Last season's top scorer, Kike Sola, who has been sidelined since December with patellar tendinitis, underwent surgery on his knee on Thursday and has been ruled out of action for the remainder of the season.

Mendilibar will also be forced into changes in midfield, with Masoud Shojaei and Lolo out injured, while David Timor is suspended.

Meanwhile, right-back Marc Bertran is a doubt for the match with a sprained ankle although the side have been received a boost as captain Patxi Punal is available again after serving a one-match suspension.

Ander Iturraspe returns from domestic suspension for Athletic, who have almost a full squad to choose from for their trip to Navarre.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Osasuna have won just two of their last 12 matches in all competitions.

• Los Rojillos have suffered just two league defeats at the Reyno de Navarra all season.

• Jose Luis Mendilibar (pictured right) had a brief coaching spell at Athletic Bilbao in 2005.

• Athletic Bilbao are on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W4, D1).

• The Basques have won five of their last seven encounters with Osasuna.

• Athletic could climb to fourth on the Primera Division standings with victory on Sunday, provided Levante fail to win at Malaga.

Prediction

Athletic will be buoyed by their win over United but they face a tough test at Osasuna, who will be well rested for this match. The Reyno de Navarra is not an easy place to visit right after a highly-charged European tie, but the visitors should have enough in the tank to get a point out of this.

Editor's Prediction

Osasuna 1-1 Bilbao

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11.03. (Sun) 18:00 Racing Santander - Barcelona

Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS

RACING SANTANDER Fernandez Alvaro, Torrejon, Espinosa, Cisma Diop, ColsaArana, Adrian, Munitis Babacar

BARCELONA Valdes Alves, Puyol, Mascherano, Adriano Xavi, Busquets, IniestaPedro, Fabregas, Messi,

Mario Fernandez is set to start in goal for Racing Santander when they entertain Barcelona at El Sardinero, as first-choice goalkeeper Tono is suspended.

Strike duo Christian Stuani (hamstring) and Lautaro Acosta (knee) are doubts for the clash, although the latter is likely to be fit enough to be included in the squad.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique will miss the trip to Santander after the Spanish Football Federation dismissed his appeal against the straight red card he received in the win over Sporting Gijon.

Captain Carles Puyol, who sat out the Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen with a minor knock, has resumed training and could take Pique's place in central defence, while Adriano is likely to continue at left-back in place of the injured Eric Abidal.

Thiago (shin) and Alexis Sanchez (hamstring) are still sidelined. Cristian Tello may be given a start in attack after his two-goal cameo in the 7-1 win over Leverkusen.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Racing Santander, who sacked coach Juanjo Gonzalez on Wednesday, are on a seven-match winless run in the league (D4, L3).

• The Cantabrians have won just three Liga games at El Sardinero all season.

• 18th-placed Racing have drawn more games than any other team in the Primera Division this term.

• Barcelona have avoided defeat in their last seven trips to El Sardinero (W5, D2).

• The Catalan giants have scored 141 goals in 46 official matches this season. They have a minimum of 16 matches remaining this campaign to break the club record for most goals in a season (158 in 62 matches in 2008-09).

• Lionel Messi (pictured right) has averaged 3.3 goals per match in his last four outings for club and country.

Prediction

Barca will be on a high after their seven-goal demolition of Leverkusen earned them rave reviews from across the football world. While the Catalans' poor away form may well end up costing them the league title this season, it would be a massive surprise if they drop points here.

Editor's Prediction

Racing 0-3 Barcelona

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11.03. (Sun) 17:30 Schalke 04 - Hamburger SV

Bongarts

PROBABLE LINEUPS

SCHALKE Hildebrand Hoger, Metzelder, Matip, Fuchs Jones, Holtby Obasi, Raul, Draxler Huntelaar

HAMBURG Drobny Diekmeier, Westermann, Bruma, Jansen Sala, Rincon, Kacar, Ilicevic Arslan Petric

Huub Stevens' dearth of defenders is set to continue, with Kyriakos Papadopoulos ruled out of the contest with Hamburg thanks to his red card in last weekend's loss to Freiburg. Benedikt Howedes is still missing with a hamstring problem, but there is good news in the form of Christoph Metzelder's return to fitness.

Lars Unnerstall and Ralf Fahrmann are both still missing through a shoulder injury and a torn anterior cruciate ligament respectively, leaving Timo Hildebrand to continue his first-team run in goal.

Upfront, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is back in training after missing the last two games through a concussion sustained on international duty, while Teemu Pukki is available again after being cup-tied for the Europa League trip to Twente.

Hamburg are without a number of players of their own for this encounter. Dennis Aogo will miss the game with a tight calf, leaving Marcell Jansen to drop back and fill in at left back.

David Jarolim has accumulated five yellow cards and will accordingly be unavailable through suspension, as will Paolo Guerrero, who was dismissed in last week's loss to Stuttgart and will serve an eight-game ban.

Tomas Rincon is a doubt, having missed training this week thanks to a calf problem of his own, but Gokhan Tore is likely to fill a space on the bench after his return to fitness.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Schalke have won seven of the 10 matches they have played after being involved in European exertions during midweek.

• The hosts have scored at least one goal in each of their last nine Bundesliga home fixtures.

• Raul (right) needs just one more goal to become the sixth foreigner to score 25 Bundesliga goals, and the second Spaniard to do so.

• The Veltins Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Hamburg - they have not been beaten in Gelsenkirchen since 2004.

• Despite failing to win any of their last three games, Thorsten Fink's men are unbeaten in their last eight away games.

• Hamburg have scored just 28 goals after 24 games this season. They have managed fewer than that figure on only two occasions.

Prediction

Neither of these teams can buy a win at the moment. While Schalke will be boosted by likely return of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, their resources are stretched to the brink, and playing a large portion on Thursday's trip to Twente with 10 men will have done nothing to alleviate that. Paolo Guerrero will be a huge up front loss for Hamburg, and I can't see them capitalising on Schalke's defensive problems after such a demoralising defeat to Stuttgart last week.

Editor's Prediction

Schalke 1-1 HSV

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11.03. (Sun) 17:00 Dijon - Paris Saint Germain

Panoramic

PROBABLE LINEUPS

DIJON Reynet Varrualt, Meite, Souprayen, Diabate Kumordzi Guerbert, Corgnet, Bautheac, KakutaJovial

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Sirigu Jallet, Alex, Sakho, Maxwell Motta, Matuidi Menez, Pastore, Nene Hoarau

Dijon coach Patrice Carteron will be without the services of midfielder Younousse Sankhare due to suspension though he will have, otherwise, a full squad to pick from. Cedric Varrualt has shaken off an ankle knock to be included in the match squad, along with Abdoulaye Meite and Brice Jovial. Carlo Ancelotti has no pressing injury worries ahead of the trip to Stade Gaston Gerard. Milan Bisevac and Mathieu Bodmer both sat out the 4-1 win over Ajaccio last weekend, and though the Italian said that they would return for Sunday's encounter, Ancelotti is set to go ahead with the side that impressively dismantled Olivier Pantaloni's men.
Guillaume Hoarau's recent run in the first-team looks set to continue, leaving Kevin Gameiro on the bench, with Gael Kakuta, the on-loan Chelsea forward, set to face his old manager at Stamford Bridge.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Dijon have only won one point out of a possible 15 in games against sides currently occupying the top five places (against Montpellier last weekend).

• The Ligue 1 new boys have scored in nine straight games, which is the joint-longest run in the division.

• Gael Kakuta, on loan from Chelsea, has four goals for Patrice Carteron's side since his January loan move.

• PSG are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions.

• A whopping 17 goals have been scored in les Parisiens' last three league fixtures.

• Brazilian Nene has six goals since the start of 2012, more than any other Ligue 1 player.

• PSG won the return fixture earlier this season 2-0 at Parc des Princes, though were dumped out of the Coupe de la Ligue by Dijon 3-2 three days later.

Prediction

Carlo Ancelotti's men are on a good run of form recently, and it's hard to see anyone stopping them at this moment in time. Dijon have the unenviable task of putting a spanner in the works of the capital club, though the gulf in class should see PSG through. 2-0 to the visitors.

Editor's Prediction

Dijon FCO 0-2 PSG

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