Football: Weekeng guide to the premiership - Middlesbrough v Arsenal Last season: no fixture

MIDDLESBROUGH WILL be without Paul Gascoigne and Gianluca Festa for the visit of Arsenal. Gascoigne is out with a dead leg and Festa has a hamstring strain. Defender Gary Pallister and midfielder Keith O'Neill are both rated as having 50-50 chances of starting, after hip and thigh problems respectively.

Dennis Bergkamp is a major doubt for Arsenal. The Dutch striker, who bounced back from missing a penalty in Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final defeat last week to become their top scorer this season on 16 goals (with one of the five against Wimbledon), has a groin injury. He was substituted after 70 minutes on Monday and must face a fitness test. Nicolas Anelka, who was rested for the Wimbledon game, will return, if Bergkamp misses out, to partner Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu in attack. Right-back Lee Dixon returns after an ankle injury but centre-back Martin Keown is suspended and Steve Bould steps in. Bergkamp's injury casts a doubt over his availability for the Netherlands' friendly against Morocco next Wednesday.

MIDDLESBROUGH (from): Schwarzer, Beresford, Stockdale, Baker, Kinder, Vickers, Pallister, Cooper, Gordon, Summerbell, Maddison, Mustoe, Townsend, O'Neill, Ricard, Deane, Armstrong, Campbell.

ARSENAL (from): Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Anelka, Kanu, Bergkamp, Vivas, Grimandi, Hughes, Garde, Diawara, Boa Morte, Lukic (gk).

Suspension: Arsenal: Keown.

Referee: M Riley.