The Bolton striker, who made waves this week by claiming he was better equipped to do that job than Liverpool's Peter Crouch, goes head-to-head with England centre-back John Terry on Saturday as Chelsea seek to extend their perfect start to the Premiership season to nine matches.

England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has earmarked Crouch as his back-up to first choice strikers Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, arguing that his height gives the national team a valuable extra option.

Davies, 28, believes he can provide a similar dimension in terms of aerial power and the ability to unsettle defenders, and is clearly miffed at having being overlooked by Eriksson.

"I feel I can do that job the same, if not better than Peter Crouch," he claimed. "If England are playing Crouch, they are obviously looking to play the way we do at Bolton sometimes.

"I would love a cap and I used to think my time would come, but I honestly don't think that will happen now - it would probably take about seven or eight injuries."

Davies did a good job of unsettling Chelsea's defence in the corresponding fixture last season, which ended in a 2-2 draw, and is confident Bolton can take something from Saturday's match.

"We are not going to go down there, sit back for 90 minutes and hold out," he said. "We will try to get amongst them and get something out of the game.

"It is an extra incentive knowing we could be the first team to take some points off them. But we have a good record against them. We know we can get a result down there - and so do they."

Bolton's Nigerian playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha remains sidelined with a groin injury while Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is likely to be without Shaun Wright Phillips and Damien Duff, both of whom returned from international duty with injuries.

Chelsea go into Saturday's match nine points clear of their nearest chasers, Charlton and Tottenham.

Arsenal, who travel to West Brom, have slipped to 11 points adrift of the champions and the Gunners' prospects of closing the gap has not been helped by a deepening injury crisis.

Sol Campbell will miss Saturday's match with the hamstring injury that forced him to sit out England's midweek win over Poland and his international colleague Ashley Cole is out for up to two months with a broken foot.

Midfielder Alexander Hleb sustained a knee problem while on duty with Belarus while Brazilian Gilberto and injured captain Thierry Henry, who is close to a comeback, are both set to miss the weekend trip to The Hawthorns.

Manchester United are also afflicted by injury woes with manager Sir Alex Ferguson set to hand young full-back Phil Bardsley his first Premiership start at Sunderland.

Kieran Richardson, who was injured while on England duty, has joined Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze, Wes Brown and Quinton Fortune on the sidelines, leaving Ferguson with little option but to turn to the 20-year-old.

Wayne Rooney, so impressive for England against Poland, is set to lead United's charge as he will be able to rest next week, when he is suspended for the Champions League match against Lille.

Ferguson is expected to stick with the combination of Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung on the left and right flanks respectively, following their effective display in the win over Fulham two weeks ago.

Park believes he has now adapted to the pace of Premiership football following his summer move from PSV Eindhoven.

"The game is quick in Holland but it is even quicker here and the games are more physical too, but I feel I'm getting used to it now," the Korean international said.

Liverpool, with only seven points from their first six matches, look to be out of the title race already, particularly after their 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea in their last Premiership outing.

Rafael Benitez's side will try to pick up the pieces at home to Blackburn on Saturday.

FIXTURES
(1400 GMT unless stated)
Saturday: Chelsea v Bolton, Liverpool v Blackburn, Sunderland v Manchester Utd, Tottenham v Everton, Middlesbrough v Portsmouth (1615 GMT), West Brom v Arsenal, Wigan v Newcastle (1145 GMT)
Sunday: Birmingham v Aston Villa (1100GMT), Manchester City v West Ham (1500 GMT)
Monday: Charlton v Fulham (1900 GMT)