Brief news before this weekend's FA Cup fixtures:
* Interim manager Guus Hiddick will watch from the stands as Chelsea travel to Championship relegation battlers Watford tomorrow.
Captain John Terry is suspended for the 2007 winners and fellow defender Ricardo Carvalho (hamstring) is also missing as they take on the side managed by former Chelsea reserve team coach Brendan Rodgers.
* In the first of only two all Premier League ties, West Ham United will give late fitness tests to Valon Behrami and James Tomkins before their home game with Middlesbrough after the pair missed midweek internationals.
Czech midfielder Radoslav Kovac could make his debut against a struggling Middlesbrough side missing Marlon King (cup-tied) and defender Chris Riggott (medial ligament injury).
* Fulham face a dangerous trip to Championship (second division) promotion chasing Swansea City without midfielder Dickson Etuhu who hobbled off the pitch in last week's 0-0 draw with Wigan Athletic.
Defender Aaron Hughes is also struggling after sustaining a dead leg on midweek international duty while on-loan Inter midfielder Olivier Dacourt may make his debut against the side who are one place outside the playoff place and unbeaten in 15.
* Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce will give opportunites to a number of fringe players for the visit of championship side Coventry with his side fighting for Premier League survival.
"There will be opportunities for some of the more fringe players, but that is not because we are taking the FA Cup lightly - quite the opposite. I believe a good cup run only help our league form," he told the club's website (www.rovers.co.uk)
El-Hadji Diouf (cup-tied) and Aaron Mokoena (suspended) are confirmed absentees alongside long-term casualties Brett Emerton and Steven Reid.
* Hull City will give late fitness tests to Jimmy Bullard, Boaz Myhill, Craig Fagan (all knee) and Ian Ashbee (calf) but may have defender Anthony Gardner (thigh) back after five months out for their trip to Sheffield United.
* Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini will not return for Everton's FA Cup clash with Aston Villa on Sunday after injuring his back in the round four win over rivals Liverpool, boss David Moyes told the club's website (www.evertonfc.com).
Wide man Steven Pienaar is supsended, loan-signing Jo cup-tied but injury-prone striker Louis Saha has an outside chance of making it.
* Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neil was frustrated that striker Emile Heskey aggravated the same Achilles injury that forced him to limp off against Blackburn last week while on international duty for England.
"It's a problem for us because he is touch and go for the game on Sunday," O'Neill told the club website (www.avfc.co.uk). "The friendlies from a club perspective are an absolute waste of time."
* Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans are all in contention for Manchester United game at Derby County on Sunday but Wayne Rooney is a doubt as the Premier League leaders attempt to ease him back from a hamstring strain.
Ferdinand missed England's 2-0 midweek defeat against Spain through illness while fellow defenders Evra and Evans have shaken off foot injuries sustained last month.
* New Arsenal signing Andrei Arshavin's ineligibility for Monday's FA Cup fourth round replay at home to last year's finalists Cardiff City is a good thing, manager Arsene Wenger said.
"It is a good thing for him yes," he told the club's website (www.arsenal.com). "He will now have two weeks before the next game and hopefully will be fully fit for Sunderland (February 21)."