Keane exit leaves Ince in Premier League firing line

Roy Keane's abrupt departure from struggling Sunderland has left his old Manchester United team-mate Paul Ince on his own in the Premier League firing line.

Without a win in nine matches, Ince's Blackburn have slumped to second from bottom and with leaders Liverpool the visitors to Ewood Park on Saturday the odds must be on things getting worse before they start to get better.

A 5-3 League Cup defeat at Manchester United in midweek concluded with the travelling fans venting their frustration at Ince.

As he refused to speak to the press afterwards, Ince's exact state of mind is hard to gauge but it is safe to assume he is enduring the kind of intense pressure that led Keane to part company with Sunderland on Thursday.

Like Blackburn, the Black Cats are mired in the relegation zone and a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday offers little prospect of an immediate upturn in fortunes under the temporary leadership of Ricky Sbragia, the first-team coach under Keane.

Arsenal's defeat of Chelsea last weekend allowed Liverpool to pull clear at the top of the league but Rafael Benitez's side have looked a little jaded in recent outings and will again be missing leading striker Fernando Torres on Saturday.

Of the top four, Chelsea look to have the toughest assignment with Luiz Felipe Scolari's men travelling to a Bolton side that has been steadily growing in confidence as the season has progressed.

Gary Megson's side helped to trigger Keane's departure from Sunderland with their 4-1 win at the Stadium of Light last weekend and assistant manager Chris Evans warned Chelsea they should not expect to have things all their own way.

“We are having a good run of form at the moment and we are playing very well,” Evans said.

“Sometimes you don't get what you deserve but if you have the belief then results will turn and that's exactly what's happened to us.”

Key to Bolton's chances of taking something from Saturday's encounter will be the extent to which they keep their former striker, Nicolas Anelka, under control on his first return to the Reebok since he quit the club midway through last season's relegation battle.

Carlos Tevez's four goals against Blackburn in midweek have given Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson a dilemma as he mulls his selection for Sunderland's visit.

Veteran Paul Scholes is ready for a return to United's midfield, two months after knee surgery, and Cristiano Ronaldo could be in the mood to celebrate winning the Ballon d'Or, which he is due to be presented with on Sunday.

Arsenal's hopes of challenging for their first title since 2004 were revived by their defeat of Chelsea last weekend but, having lost five times already this season, Arsene Wenger's side's margin for further error remains limited.

Wigan are the visitors to the Emirates on Saturday and Steve Bruce's side will be bolstered by the return of Egypt forward Amr Zaki, the most prolific striker in the league before he was sidelined by rib and calf injuries earlier this month.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Arsenal v Wigan, Blackburn v Liverpool, Bolton v Chelsea, Fulham v Manchester City (1245 GMT), Hull City v Middlesbrough, Manchester Utd v Sunderland (1730 GMT), Newcastle v Stoke City

Sunday

Everton v Aston Villa (1600 GMT), West Brom v Portsmouth (1500 GMT)

Monday

West Ham v Tottenham (2000 GMT)