Weekend preview: Kompany misses the Klassiker as Liverpool host Arsenal

The big games

Liverpool v Arsenal: Iraola's chance to drag Liverpool back in

Arsenal arrive at Anfield level on 21 points with Man City at the top, and Liverpool are six behind in fourth. A home win cuts that gap to three; a defeat leaves Andoni Iraola's side nine adrift. Liverpool have won both league games since City beat them 3-0 at Anfield on 11 October.

Liverpool are without Jeremie Frimpong, who has a new muscle injury, and Hugo Ekitike, out with an Achilles problem until late December. The Evening Standard also lists Leoni and Conor Bradley as out. Dominik Szoboszlai's hamstring has flared up again and he is unlikely to start, while Florian Wirtz is back after a knock.

Mikel Arteta's list is longer. Bukayo Saka (thigh) and William Saliba (back) are both out for weeks, and Declan Rice (hamstring), Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke (ankle) are doubts. Arteta admitted after the League Cup exit at Fleetwood that Rice had "finished with a problem", while he called Calafiori's issue "something very small". Both managers speak on Friday.

Arsenal come in on a bruise: they went out of the League Cup on Tuesday on penalties against Fleetwood of League Two. Alexander Isak is expected back in Liverpool's attack, and Ronald Araujo, a centre-back, continues at right-back, which makes him the obvious target for Arsenal's wide players while Saka is missing. The AI backs Liverpool to win 3-1.

Chelsea v Man United: Carrick's job on the line at the Bridge

Michael Carrick goes to Stamford Bridge still in charge after Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox met this week to discuss what happens next, Sky Sports reported. Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth left United 16th with one win from eight league games, the club's worst start to a Premier League season.

The headline is Bruno Fernandes. Left out against Bournemouth, he is back after clear-the-air talks with Carrick on Tuesday and stays captain. "Bruno is fully committed to this football club," Carrick said on Thursday. Kobbie Mainoo has returned to training after missing four games. Benjamin Sesko, out for "a period of time" in Carrick's words, Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu and Luke Shaw are all missing.

Chelsea have Cole Palmer back from a one-match ban. Xabi Alonso's side lost 2-0 at home to Spurs, then went out of the League Cup on penalties at Anfield, where Maxence Lacroix came off at half-time with a hamstring problem. Lacroix is a doubt, as are Moisés Caicedo and Malo Gusto. Joao Pedro, Reece James, Jamie Gittens and Emi Martinez are out, so Mike Penders keeps goal.

Chelsea have scored 17 goals in their last five home games but conceded in every one of them, which is the gap Fernandes will look for. Alonso speaks on Friday. The AI goes 4-2 to Chelsea.

Bayern v Dortmund: top against second, level on points

Bayern and Dortmund meet level on 17 points, both unbeaten after seven games, with Bayern top only on goal difference. Vincent Kompany will not be in the dugout. He was taken ill at the training ground last week and admitted to hospital; he has since been discharged and is recovering at home, and his assistant Aaron Danks, who has taken the last three games, is in charge again.

Bayern drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the Champions League, won 3-1 at Freiburg and beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the cup on Wednesday, with Michael Olise scoring twice and Harry Kane rested on the bench for all 90 minutes. Luis Díaz is out for several weeks with a muscle tear. Joshua Kimmich, who missed three games after a death in his family, is back in training, though there is no guarantee he plays. Jamal Musiala (thigh) and Manuel Neuer (foot) are doubts, and reports disagree over whether Musiala can make it.

Niko Kovac's Dortmund got through their own cup tie on Tuesday, beating Werder Bremen 3-2 with a Marcel Sabitzer free kick in stoppage time. "The lads who have played in recent weeks are all fit," Kovac said on Thursday. The only doubt is Karetsas, back in partial training after an ankle injury, with a decision due after Friday's session.

Kovac named the key battle himself: Olise against Svensson on Dortmund's left, and he wants Olise doubled up on. "We won't dig in and hope they don't score," he said. Dortmund have not beaten Bayern in their last five meetings, according to AP. The AI has Bayern winning 3-1.

Milan v Inter: Amorim's derby after the Bologna storm

Milan went into the week four points off the top and come out of it seven behind Inter, after a 4-2 home defeat by Bologna in which San Siro whistled them off with Gerry Cardinale watching. Cardinale told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday that Rúben Amorim is "absolutely not at risk".

Fikayo Tomori came off against Bologna with a thigh injury and is at serious risk of missing the derby. Gila, Rabiot and Moreira trained with the group on Thursday, though Rabiot is still a doubt, and Gabbia, Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek and Chukwueze are out. Inter are again without Lautaro Martínez, who is not expected back until after the international break, along with Pavard, Stones, Curtis Jones and Luis Henrique. Hakan Calhanoglu is expected to start.

Both managers speak on Friday. After Wednesday's 2-0 win, built on two own goals and Provedel's saves, Cristian Chivu admitted Inter had been "a bit lucky" and said they would try "to recover energy in a few days".

Inter top the table on 25 points, their joint-best start to a Serie A season, yet Opta point out they have not won any of their last seven Milan derbies. Marcus Thuram, involved in a goal in 12 of his last 14 league games, is the man Milan must stop. The AI has it 2-2.

Juventus v Napoli: two wounded sides on 14 points

Both sides have 14 points, 11 behind the leaders, and Luciano Spalletti is under pressure. After Wednesday's 2-0 defeat in Genoa, Football Italia reported calls for his dismissal, and Spalletti said: "We have to apologise to the fans for this performance."

Juventus are still without Manuel Locatelli, Kenan Yildiz, Khéphren Thuram, Francisco Conceição, Nico González, Ekhator and the goalkeeper Grabara. Napoli lost Stanislav Lobotka to an ankle injury at Monza, and Buongiorno, Badiashile, Spinazzola, Neres, Alisson Santos and Favasuli are also out. McTominay, Anguissa, Hojlund and De Bruyne are expected to start.

Massimiliano Allegri will not be on the bench. He dropped his appeal against a two-match ban, joking that he did not want it to become four, so his assistant Marco Landucci is in charge again after Wednesday's 4-1 at Monza. "Sunday is an important, difficult game," Landucci said.

The battle in the middle is the one to watch. Billy Gilmour came on for Lobotka at Monza and will face a Juventus side that Spalletti said was "outplayed in every area" in Genoa. Juventus have not won any of their last 13 Serie A games after conceding first, so the first goal matters. The AI goes 2-1 to Napoli.

Le Havre v PSG: the leaders go to the bottom side without four regulars

The leaders open the weekend at the Stade Océane against the side with 2 points and no win from eight. PSG have won their last five league games, the last a 2-0 win over Lyon on Monday with goals from two substitutes, Mayulu and Mika Godts.

Luis Enrique is without Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes, all with thigh injuries until the international break, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had knee surgery on Tuesday and is out for months. Godts could not train on Thursday. "It has never been easy to play there," Luis Enrique said.

Didier Digard has Mpasi, Zagadou and Mambimbi out, and Pembélé is a big doubt. "If I didn't believe, I wouldn't come," he said. Le Havre lost 4-3 at Marseille last weekend after going 4-0 down.

PSG have scored in each of their last 14 away league games, and Le Havre have won only four of their 34 Ligue 1 meetings with PSG. The AI sees PSG winning 3-1 even without their four regulars.

Elsewhere

• Racing Santander v Real Madrid (Sunday): José Mourinho's side have won five in a row since the international break, including the Clásico. Vinícius serves the third game of a four-match league ban, Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio are out, and Courtois is back from the flu. Valverde and Arda Güler are expected to be fit.
• Barcelona v Alavés (Saturday): Hansi Flick's leaders have lost two in a row and are short at the back, with Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Eric García and Xavi Espart all out. Alavés have taken 2 points from their last six league games.
• Athletic v Real Sociedad (Sunday): the Basque derby. Real Sociedad have won four league games in a row; Athletic are without Ruiz de Galarreta, Guruzeta and Egiluz, while Sancet is back in training.
• Man City v Brighton (Saturday): the leaders host third-placed Brighton, who are without Pascal Struijk.
• Newcastle v Everton (Monday): Everton beat Newcastle 3-1 in the League Cup on Thursday, without Jack Grealish, whom David Moyes left out for a breach of club discipline.

The fixtures

All times UK.

Friday 30 October

• Le Havre v PSG, 6pm
• Nice v Rennes, 6pm
• Elversberg v Mainz, 7.30pm
• Villarreal v Espanyol, 8pm
• Lille v Lens, 8.05pm

Saturday 31 October

• Chelsea v Man United, 12.30pm
• Levante v Atlético, 1pm
• Bologna v Monza, 2pm
• Gladbach v Paderborn, 2.30pm
• Augsburg v Freiburg, 2.30pm
• Leverkusen v Stuttgart, 2.30pm
• Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim, 2.30pm
• Schalke v RB Leipzig, 2.30pm
• Man City v Brighton, 3pm
• Brentford v Nottingham Forest, 3pm
• Bournemouth v Leeds, 3pm
• Coventry v Sunderland, 3pm
• Hull v Ipswich, 3pm
• Rayo Vallecano v Celta Vigo, 3.15pm
• Udinese v Roma, 5pm
• Spurs v Crystal Palace, 5.30pm
• Bayern v Dortmund, 5.30pm
• Real Betis v Málaga, 5.30pm
• Troyes v Le Mans, 7.45pm
• Milan v Inter, 7.45pm
• Aston Villa v Fulham, 8pm
• Barcelona v Alavés, 8pm

Sunday 1 November

• Como v Venezia, 11.30am
• Getafe v Sevilla, 1pm
• Strasbourg v Auxerre, 2pm
• Frosinone v Torino, 2pm
• Lazio v Cagliari, 2pm
• Union Berlin v Köln, 2.30pm
• Racing Santander v Real Madrid, 3.15pm
• Lyon v Angers, 4.15pm
• Paris FC v Monaco, 4.15pm
• Liverpool v Arsenal, 4.30pm
• Eintracht Frankfurt v Hamburg, 4.30pm
• Lecce v Genoa, 5pm
• Elche v Valencia, 5.30pm
• Marseille v Toulouse, 7.45pm
• Juventus v Napoli, 7.45pm
• Athletic v Real Sociedad, 8pm

Monday 2 November

• Sassuolo v Fiorentina, 5.30pm
• Atalanta v Parma, 7.45pm
• Lorient v Brest, 7.45pm
• Newcastle v Everton, 8pm
• Deportivo La Coruña v Osasuna, 8pm

The AI's corner

The AI's boldest call is Liverpool beating Arsenal 3-1 at Anfield, with Saka and Saliba out and Rice a doubt after the League Cup exit at Fleetwood. It also backs Everton to win 2-1 at Newcastle on Monday, days after their 3-1 League Cup win over the same side, and has Real Madrid winning 4-1 at Racing Santander, who have conceded 26 goals in ten league games. Every pick is at predisportshq.com/predictions.