Sunderland head coach Gus
Poyet will welcome defenders
Billy Jones and Santiago
Vergini
back into his squad for
Sunday's Barclays Premier
League visit of Manchester
United.
Jones missed the 2-2 draw
with
former club West Brom last
weekend because of a
troublesome hamstring, while
Vergini is understood to have
sat out because of an
administrative problem - but
both will be available this
weekend.
That means Poyet's only
significant absentee will be
Italian midfielder Emanuele
Giaccherini, who continues his
recovery from a groin injury.
Provisional squad: Mannone,
Pantilimon, Jones, Van
Aanholt,
Brown, O'Shea, Vergini,
Roberge, Cattermole, Bridcutt,
Rodwell, Gomez, Larsson,
Johnson, Buckley, Mavrias,
Wickham, Fletcher, Altidore,
Graham.
Manchester United
Striker Robin van Persie is fully
fit and available for
Manchester
United's game at Sunderland
on
Sunday.
Midfielders Michael Carrick,
Marouane Fellaini and Ander
Herrera (all ankle) are out, as
is
utility man Jesse Lingard, who
has a knee injury, but Antonio
Valencia has recovered from
the
leg problem that kept him out
of the defeat to Swansea.
Defenders Jonny Evans (leg),
Luke Shaw (hamstring) and
Marcos Rojo (awaiting work
permit) are unavailable while
doubts remain over right-back
Rafael (groin) and striker
Danny
Welbeck (knee), who has also
been told he can leave the
club.
Provisional squad: De Gea,
Lindegaard, Amos, Rafael,
Valencia, Smalling, Jones, M
Keane, Blackett, James,
Fletcher,
Cleverley, Anderson, Young,
Mata, Kagawa, Zaha, Januzaj,
Van Persie, Rooney, Welbeck,
Hernandez, Powell, W Keane.
Key match stats (supplied by
Opta)
Sunderland’s win at Old
Trafford
in May ended a run of 23
Premier League games
against
Manchester United without a
win.
Manchester United have
conceded just two goals in
their
last seven trips to the Stadium
of Light in the Premier League.
Wayne Rooney has scored 81
Premier League away goals,
only six short of Alan Shearer’s
all-time record.
Manchester United ended the
2013-14 season with exactly
the same away record as
Chelsea and Manchester City
(W10 D4 L5)
After assisting a goal in each
of
his opening three Premier
League appearances for
Manchester United, Juan Mata
has assisted only one more in
13 games for them.
Sunderland have scored at
least
once in 10 of their last 11
Premier League games.
The Black Cats have won four
of
their last six league games,
including victories against
Chelsea and Manchester
United.
Manchester United have lost
13
Premier League games since
September 1 last year.
Adnan Januzaj has assisted
only
one goal in his last 14 Premier
League appearances.
Sebastian Larsson’s goal on
the
opening day equalled his haul
in
both 2013-14 and 2012-13.
He
scored seven times in his first
season for Sunderland.