Midfielder Lee Bowyer (knee) is struggling to be fit while Kieron Dyer and Albert Luque will miss out.Newcastle suffered a further blow on Tuesday night when the defender Craig Moore hobbled off at half-time in a reserve match against Birmingham with a hamstring problem.The Sunderland midfielder Julio Arca believes he has a "50-50 chance" of featuring. "I've played in derbies in Liverpool and Glasgow, and managed in them as well. Rangers v Celtic is special, as is the Merseyside derby and Galatasaray against Fenerbahce," he said."I'm sure Newcastle v Sunderland will be up there with the best of them."With Owen now a doubt, the England Under-21 striker Shola Ameobi has been put on alert.The practice match in which Owen was injured had been arranged to help Nolberto Solano and Emre reacquaint themselves with the first team after a spell on the sidelines.The No 2 goalkeeper, Steve Harper, also suffered an injury in the same match. Michael Owen limped out of a practice match on Tuesday with a hamstring strain to leave him in doubt for the derby. The 25-year-old England striker suffered with hamstring problems during his time at Liverpool and though this current injury does not appear to be a serious one, it might keep him out against Sunderland. It is yet another fitness blow to Souness, who nevertheless is excited by being involved in another highly charged derby. The manager of Newcastle United, Graeme Souness, is gearing up for his first taste of the Tyne and Wear derby on Sunday, but may face Sunderland without his prize asset.
Mourinho could be excused for saying that he had seen it all before, and with 13 goals in Chelsea's last three matches there was a distinctive sense of d? vu about another performance of astonishing control and conviction by the Premiership champions.. Hernan Crespo's fourth goal last night brought an ecstatic Stamford Bridge to its feet once again to salute their team - down on the touchline, the Chelsea manager scarcely bothered to look up from his notes. Substitutes not used: Carson (gk), Finnan, Crouch, Morientes.Referee: M Busacca (Switzerland).. The scale of Real Betis's destruction could hardly have been grander, their dismissal more brutal, and yet for Jose Mourinho it appears that this kind of display is simply to be expected. Substitutes not used: Zitka (gk), Zewlakow, Baseggio, Pujol, Hasi.Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Reina; Josemi, Hyypia, Carragher, D Traor?Sissoko (Zenden, 80), Alonso, Hamann, Riise (Warnock, 87); Garcia; Ciss?Kewell, 74). Liverpool were happier with the Swiss referee's next intervention.
A Wilhelmsson cross hit Carragher's arm as he sought to block. Massimo Busacca, well-placed, waved the appeals away."Maybe he did not move his hand to the ball but he stopped it going somewhere," said Frank Vercauteren, the Anderlecht coach, adding, "the referee was not Champions' League quality."Neither, though was Anderlecht's finishing, with another Vanden Borre miss confirming their third successive 1-0 defeat in this campaign.Anderlecht (4-4-2): Proto; Vanden Borre, De Man, Tihinen (L Traor?49), Deschacht (Akin Serhat, 74); Wilhelmsson, Vanderhaeghe (Baseggio, 61), Zetterberg, Goor; Mpenza, Jestrovic. Riise volleyed wide after Jamie Carragher released him over the top; Vanden Borre drew a smart low save from Reina.As the home pressure mounted Xabi Alonso was booked for sliding through the back of Wilhelmsson. This time the big Belgian thrashed the ball over.The interval came and went and so did the chances. Their best opportunity to do so fell to Djimi Traor?ollowing another Hamann corner, but Proto smothered his shot.
