Previews

Gael Clichy will return to the starting line up after serving a one match suspension for picking up five yellow cards this season. Gallas could return to the starting line up in place of Toure

Cardiff certainly won’t be pushovers, they made it to the final last year, although they only faced opposition from above their league in one round until the final. They’ll bring a high tempo game and look to do what Burnley did to us in the Carling Cup

Gallas and Silvestre out for another two to three weeks, Fabregas and Rosicky out long term. Walcott perhaps back in the next month or so, Eduardo is fully recovered from injury and ready to play perhaps towards the end of this month

Song should be available again after his suspension/injury, and Clichy should be back in the team following an unspecified injury problem. The injury Silvestre picked up against Plymouth will keep him out for a few weeks

Song misses out through suspension. Denilson is out with a back problem, and Kolo has a "groin problem" (code for "will soon be leaving the club so we won’t cup-tie him")

In Adebayor’s absence either Vela or Bendtner will partner van Persie up front, as he isn’t the sort of player that can play as a lone striker. In Fabregas’ absence Song and Denilson will probably be the consistent partnership in central midfield

Nasri will return to the squad, we’ll find out on Friday. Kolo has only a 5% chance of making the squad, so Djourou and Gallas will continue at centre back. Nasri should come straight back into the side

Nasri and Toure definitely miss out, but Fabregas, Sagna and Clichy all have a chance of returning to the squad after missing the mid week Champions League action through injury. van Persie and Adebayor were rested and will return to the starting line up

With qualification already assured we’ll see a Carling Cup player or two in the team. There’s a mid-week break after the league game on Saturday, so there’s no major need for resting players

Gallas hasn’t fully recovered from the knock he picked up against Chelsea, and he’ll miss this game. Toure is back in the squad after injury, and either he or Silvestre will partner Djourou who is fit