Stoke have a poor record on Wearside but Mark Hughes will be hoping to return to winning ways after last week’s disappointing 2-0 home FA Cup defeat to Wolves. Already underwhelmed by what is turning into a slog of a league campaign, Stoke fans were seriously unhappy about that reverse and Hughes knows a correction is needed. Sunderland remain desperate to secure a win that seems near essential to sustaining David Moyes’s hopes of escaping relegation. Louise Taylor
Kick-off Saturday 3pm
Venue Stadium of Light
Last season Sunderland 2 Stoke City 0
Referee Mike Dean
This season G15, Y63, R5, 4.87 cards per game
Odds H 2-1 A 7-5 D 12-5
Sunderland
Subs from Mika, Honeyman, Asoro, Robson, Embleton, Jones, Anichebe
Doubtful Anichebe (hamstring), Jones (hamstring)
Injured Gooch (ankle), Pickford (knee, both Feb), Cattermole (hip), Kirchhoff (knee, both Mar), Pienaar (calf), Watmore (knee, both unknown)
Suspended None
Unavailable Khazri, Koné, Ndong (Africa Cup of Nations)
Form LLWLLD
Discipline Y43 R3
Leading scorer Defoe 11
Stoke City
Subs from Given, Haugaard, Verlinden, Ngoy, Teixeira, Krkic, Bardsley, Whelan, Imbula
Doubtful Krkic (hip)
Injured Butland (ankle), Cameron (knee), Ireland (leg, all Feb), Walters (knee, unknown)
Suspended None
Unavailable Bony, Diouf, Sobhi (Africa Cup of Nations)
Form LDDLLW
Discipline Y36 R1
Leading scorer Allen 5
