Morrison ready for Birmingham debut

Clinton Morrison and Robbie Savage are finally poised to make their Birmingham City debuts in tonight's Premiership match with Everton at Goodison Park.

Morrison, City's £4.5m record signing from Crystal Palace, has been suffering from a groin problem that kept him out of the opening two matches with Arsenal and Blackburn. But the striker came through a behind-doors practice game on Monday, playing for 65 minutes.

Savage, snapped up from Leicester City, missed the first two games of the season through suspension after collecting 15 bookings for the Foxes last season. However, Paul Devlin is still suspended and Steve Vickers is recovering from a knee operation.

Goalkeeper Richard Wright is Everton's only major injury worry. The England keeper damaged his right arm during Saturday's 1-0 win at Sunderland and has been undergoing intensive treatment. Steve Simonsen is on standby.

Joseph Yobo, still not fully match fit after his pre-season leg injury, and has now picked up a minor ankle injury. Scot Gemmill and Steve Watson are both training after hamstring worries while Duncan Ferguson is making progress from his back trouble.

The Liverpool manager, Gérard Houllier, must decide whether to recall John Arne Riise for tonight's game at Blackburn. Houllier confirmed following Saturday's win over Southampton that he left out Riise because he had played a full match for Norway in a friendly earlier that week.

By resting Riise, Houllier was able to accommodate Michael Owen and El Hadji Diouf up front with Emile Heskey on the left of midfield, where Riise usually plays.

Blackburn will be without the suspended Northern Ireland winger Keith Gillespie and long-term injury victims Stig Inge Bjornebye and Matt Jansen.

The Swedish international Michael Svensson is set to make his first start of the season against Chelsea at St Mary's Stadium. Svensson will replace the defender Claus Lundekvam who has a hamstring injury. The goalkeeper Antti Niemi is in contention for a place in the squad after completing his £2m move from Hearts.

Chelsea seem certain to keep faith with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, though Eidur Gudjohnsen may be recalled to replace either Hasselbaink of Gianfranco Zola. John Terry and Jody Morris are still short of match fitness after court appearances, while Mikael Forssell is a long-term injury absentee after knee surgery.

The Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel could be in line for his first start of the season against Manchester City tonight. Villa's record signing has been troubled by a knee injury, but impressed as a second-half substitute against Tottenham on Saturday.

Peter Schmeichel should be fit to face his former club despite suffering a recurrence of his knee problem in the win against Newcastle on Saturday.

The Sunderland midfielder Gavin McCann is out of tonight's trip to Leeds with an ankle injury. New signing Matt Piper could get his first start for the club in McCann's place, but the Brazilian defender Emerson Thome is out for up to eight weeks after undergoing a third operation on his injured knee.

Leeds are likely to name an unchanged side from the one that beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 on Saturday.