MX23RW : Thursday, December 12 03:47:22| >> :120:15729:15729:

Preview: Sunderland vs. Manchester United

Preview: Sunderland vs. Man Utd
© PA Photos
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Premier League encounter between Sunderland and Manchester United at the Stadium of Light.

Manchester United could temporarily move 18 points clear at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday if they beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Red Devils take on the Black Cats in the early kickoff, with second-placed Manchester City hosting Newcastle United later in the day.

United come into the match on the back of six consecutive wins in the league, while their unbeaten record stretches back to 17 games.

In contrast, Sunderland's relegation woes are far from over as they toil without a victory in seven outings.

Martin O'Neill's side are currently four points above the drop zone with eight matches left to play.

The big team news is that the hosts will be without leading goalscorer Steven Fletcher, who was recently ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious ankle injury.

Club captain Lee Cattermole is also sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a knee problem.

Nani is still unavailable for the visitors, but Paul Scholes and Phil Jones could be back in the squad following spells on the treatment table.

Recent form

Sunderland: LLLDLD

Man Utd: WWWLDW

Possible lineups

Sunderland: Mignolet; O'Shea, Cuellar, Bramble, Rose; Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Johnson, Sessegnon; Graham

Man Utd: De Gea; Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Cleverley, Carrick, Giggs; Kagawa; Rooney, Van Persie

Sports Mole says: 0-2


ID:76592: cacheID:76592:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3389:
Written by
Jack Prescott

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Sunderland's Steven Fletcher after scoring against Reading on December 11, 2012
Read Next:
Fletcher out for the season
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!