Midfielder makes welcome Black Cats return against Fulham

Sunderland

• Midfielder Lee Cattermole is available again after a one-match ban.
• Anton Ferdinand could start his first game for nearly three months after ankle trouble.
• Sunderland‘s 1-0 defeat at Fulham in December was their first against the London side in six matches.

• Defender David Meyler is unavailable as he serves the second game of a three-game suspension.
• Winger Andy Reid is facing another three weeks out with a hamstring problem.
• Jordan Henderson will be sidelined for at least another month with ankle ligament damage.
• Sunderland have failed to win in their last 13 Premier League fixtures.
• The Black Cats have kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 games.

Fulham

• Left back Paul Konchesky is back in contention to start after a foot injury.
• Striker Bobby Zamora has scored in four of his last five matches..
• Roy Hodgson‘s side is bidding for a fourth clean sheet in five league games.

• Striker Andy Johnson has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee problem.
• Defender John Pantsil is still out with a long-term knee injury.
• Midfielder Clint Dempsey faces missing the rest of the campaign with knee ligament damage.
• The Cottagers have still not won away from home since the opening day of the campaign.
• Fulham have failed to score more than one goal in their last six meetings with Sunderland.

Expert Advice

The Premier League has been one big struggle for Sunderland boss Steve Bruce in the last three months and he will be hoping Lady Luck finally starts shining down on him at the Stadium of Light this weekend. When the Black Cats have needed that little bit of good fortune, they simply haven’t had it but their treatment room is slowly starting to empty out and the manager will hope this coincides with the change of fortune on the pitch. At least in Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones he has two strikers who can frighten opposing defences and Fulham will have their work cut out to keep the pair quiet. The Cottagers have really struggled on the road this season but confidence is high after good results in the league and Europe over the last week. Whether that will be enough to carry them to a first away win since the opening day of the campaign, though, remains to be seen and Betsson’s odds of 3.25 for a draw looks a sound bet.

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