Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham meet at White Hart Lane both missing one of their star midfielders.
Spurs will be hoping to kick-start the new campaign in their first London derby of the season on Sunday.
After their Uefa Cup exertions, Martin Jol’s side have an extra day to recover before returning to league action.
Much was expected from Spurs this season but so far they have failed to live up to expectations, with just one win and three defeats from their opening four games.
In contrast, Fulham will be aiming to force their way into the top six with maximum points at the weekend.
But Chris Coleman goes into the game without in-form midfielder Jimmy Bullard after he was ruled out for the entire season with a horrific knee injury.
Bullard had begun the campaign with some excellent displays and was on the score sheet in games against Bolton and Sheffield United last month.
Jol, meanwhile, will have to contend with the absence of winger Aaron Lennon, who has also gone down with a knee injury.
The England international’s problem is not as severe as Bullard’s, but an operation will keep him out for around six weeks.
Spurs have the recent record between the two sides in their favour, with the home team having won the last five meetings between the sides.
Jol will wait until as late as possible to assess his squad after the win in Prague on Thursday.
Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov sat out the game with a groin problem and could again miss out, but Hossam Ghaly and Danny Murphy should have recovered in time to be available.
Didier Zokora impressed for Spurs in midweek and Jol will likely stick with the Ivory Coast international against The Cottagers.
On-loan winger Wayne Routledge is unavailable for Fulham as he cannot play against his parent club.
Coleman will also be without the services of Ahmad Elrich (knee) and Simon Elliott (calf) but Claus Jensen is back in contention after recovering from a calf strain.
