Click Here to subscribe to Player PRO to find out which players really make a difference and have a free 14 day trial.

NB: Player appearances are based on a player starting and completing at least 60 minutes. The sample is based on a team’s home and away league matches since the start of last season unless otherwise stated.

Arsenal v Spurs

Spurs travel to the Emirates Stadium without a number of key first team players, with Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Luca Modric all unavailable. While Defoe has enjoyed an excellent start to the season his impact on Spurs’ results has been minimal since rejoining them last January as the Lilywhites have won an average of 1.77 points per game in the 13 matches he has played compared to 1.80 in the 15 he has missed. However, Spurs look likely to struggle in the absence of Lennon and Modric.

Lennon limped off last week with an ankle injury that left Spurs with only 10 men having used all their subs and they subsequently conceded a late goal to lose at home against Stoke. Lennon has played 35 and missed 13 matches since the start of last season. When he has featured, Spurs have won 46% and lost 37% of matches (PPG 1.54); while without him they have won just 31% and lost 38% of their games (PPG 1.23).

Moreover, Tottenham’s record against the Big Four without the England winger is terrible as they have lost 11 of 15 matches since 2005/06 – earning just 0.40 points per game – while with him they have lost just eight of 20 matches and won 0.90 points per game. However, nine of the 15 matches without Lennon have been tied at half-time, with six of the 11 defeats being draw/loss doubles for Spurs.

The loss of Modric has also significantly dented Spurs’ performances as they have lost three of seven matches since he fractured his leg, having won their opening three games this season. Since he joined Tottenham, Modric has played 33 and missed 18 matches with Spurs earning 1.70 points per game with him compared to just one point per game without.

Man Utd v Blackburn

Blackburn midfielder Vincent Grella looks set to fail in the race to be fit to play Man Utd this weekend. In the 16 matches that the Australian international has played since joining Blackburn, they have had a very respectable record of five wins and five defeats, averaging 1.31 points per game. However, without Grella they have lost 17 of 29 matches including 11 of 15 on the road. Furthermore, they have conceded slightly more than two goals per game without Grella compared to just 1.25 when he has played and have failed to score in six of the last nine away matches he has missed.

Villarreal v Tenerife

Villarreal have had a terrible start to the season and currently lie in the relegation zone, five places and three points below Tenerife. The Yellow Submarine’s task looks to have been made harder by the back injury incurred by Spanish international Santi Cazorla.

However, the stats suggest the opposite may well be the case as Villarreal’s results have been dramatically better without the winger. Since the start of last season Cazorla has played 32 and missed 14 matches for Villarreal and his team has returned a less than impressive set of results - won 10, drawn 11, lost 11 with him. However, in his absence they have won nine of 14 matches and suffered just two defeats which has seen them earn 2.14 points per game – a 67% improvement on when Cazorla has been playing. These results are even more impressive when the quality of the opposition is considered. They beat Real Madrid and Valencia, and drew with Barcelona at the end of last season, all without Cazorla.

Grenoble v Lille

Grenoble have lost all 10 matches they have played this season and will be without their Serbian defender Millvoje Vitakic as they welcome his former club Lille this weekend. Vitakic has played in 30 of Grenoble’s 48 home matches since the start of last season and with him they have lost just 40% of their matches while winning 30%. However, without Vitakic they have slipped to 12 defeats while winning just once, including three draws and 11 defeats in their last 14 games. Their average goals conceded has risen by 35% in his absence from 1.07 to 1.44.

Fiorentina v Catania

The Viola might have been humbled in their last two matches against Napoli and Genoa but the chances of a third straight defeat look very slim against a Catania side that will be missing influential Uruguayan striker Jorge Martinez. The forward has played 23 of Catania’s 48 matches since the start of last season and when he has been missing Catania’s loss rate has increased from 43% to 56%. However, in half of the 14 losses that Catania have suffered without Martinez they have been level at half-time. More specifically, they have lost eight of 13 matches against top-half teams without Martinez, with five of the defeats by way of the draw/loss double.