LONDON // Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck’s reunion with former club Manchester United supplies one of the sub-plots as the Premier League resumes this weekend following the international break.
Arsenal welcome United to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday evening for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground to early-season pace-setters Chelsea.
Read more: Chelsea fans to pass verdict on Jose Mourinho comments
Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City on their last outing, Arsenal approach the weekend in sixth place, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea and a point above United, who edged Crystal Palace 1-0 in their most recent encounter.
Welbeck has excelled at centre-forward for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million ($25.1 million, 20 million euros) transfer.
The Manchester-born striker, 23, came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and his departure prompted former assistant coach Mike Phelan to declare that United’s identity had been “broken”.
Welbeck was withdrawn as a precaution during England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, but he is expected to face United.
Read more: Louis van Gaal on Danny Welbeck reunion: ‘It’s good to see he’s doing what I thought’
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also been boosted by the news that France striker Olivier Giroud is ready to return to action after making a speedy recovery from a broken leg.
United received a blow during the international break when Dutch midfielder Daley Blind sustained a knee ligament injury likely to sideline him for several weeks.
But although they face ongoing injury problems in defence, goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielders Michael Carrick and Angel di Maria should all be fit to face Arsenal despite sustaining knocks on international duty.
“Di Maria has trained today normally, so I don’t think that is a question mark, but (Luke) Shaw is,” United manager Louis van Gaal revealed on Thursday.
“De Gea is good, no problem. I think I have to wait for the reaction in training with Carrick, but I also expect he’s ready to play.”
The season may be only 11 games old, but complacency and rank misfortune already seem the only factors capable of preventing Chelsea from romping to a first league title since 2010.
A 2-1 win at Liverpool enabled Jose Mourinho’s side to open up an eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City prior to the international window, and Arsenal, United and Liverpool are even further back.
“The win at Anfield was really important because it was a really difficult game and we knew it was important for the future,” said Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis during a fan event at Stamford Bridge this week.
Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and will hope to see top scorer Diego Costa firing on all cylinders after he was left out of the Spain squad to rest his troublesome hamstrings.
The only team who have threatened to keep pace with Chelsea are Southampton, who trail the leaders by four points ahead of their trip to Aston Villa in the Monday night game.
Champions City will look to drag themselves out of a damaging rut when they host Swansea on Saturday, having won only one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side are on the brink of elimination in the Champions League ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Bayern Munich, but have at least been able to rely on the form of Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine sharp-shooter scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in City’s 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago and appears to have overcome the injury problems that bedevilled him last term.
Another team in desperate need of an upturn in fortunes are Liverpool, who lie in 11th place, 15 points behind Chelsea, after three games without a victory.
On Sunday Brendan Rodgers’s side play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, scene of their crushing late-season capitulation last May, when they effectively gifted City the title by letting a 3-0 lead slip to draw 3-3.
Liverpool’s woes have been compounded by the news that striker Daniel Sturridge could be out until the new year after aggravating a thigh injury.
English Premier League fixtures
Saturday (in UAE time)
Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion, 7pm
Everton v West Ham United, 7pm
Leicester City v Sunderland, 7pm
Manchester City v Swansea City, 7pm
Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers, 7pm
Stoke City v Burnley, 7pm
Arsenal v Manchester United, 9.30pm
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Liverpool, 5.30pm
Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur, 8pm
Monday
Aston Villa v Southampton, midnight
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