Preview: Sunderland vs. Southampton

Southampton will be grateful for the opportunity to shift their attention back to on-pitch matters when they travel to Sunderland on Saturday.

Chairman Nicola Cortese resigned on Wednesday in a week of turmoil at the South Coast club during which the future of manager Mauricio Pochettino was also unclear.

However, the popular Argentine has decided to stay with the Saints and has insisted that Cortese's departure is not an invitation for their Premier League rivals to swoop for his best young players.

Many of these stars, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez included, are all likely to start at the Stadium of Light as Pochettino makes the trip to Wearside with Victor Wanyama his only senior absentee.

Rickie Lambert has been linked with a move to West Ham United but is still expected to lead the visiting attack, with Dani Osvaldo serving the final game of his three-match suspension.

Gaston Ramirez or James Ward-Prowse could be recalled for Southampton at the expense of the more defensive-minded Jack Cork, but otherwise Pochettino may name the same starting lineup that beat West Bromwich Albion.

Sunderland, meanwhile, enter a Premier League match not bottom of the table for the first time in six weeks following their Adam Johnson-inspired 4-1 victory at Fulham last weekend.

Black Cats boss Gus Poyet is still without goalkeeper Keiren Westwood and Carlos Cuellar due to injury, but has all of the XI that began the match at Craven Cottage available and could field the same side.

Restoring Jozy Altidore in place of Fabio Borini may be something that the Uruguayan considers, but Poyet will not be able to call upon the services of Ji Dong-Won off the bench after the South Korean striker was transferred to Augsburg having scored just twice in two years at the Stadium of Light.

Recent form

Sunderland: WLDWDD

Southampton: WLLWLD

Possible starting lineups

Sunderland: Mannone; Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Alonso; Johnson, Cattermole, Ki, Colback; Borini, Fletcher

Southampton: Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; S.Davis, Schniederlin; Ramirez, Lallana, Rodriguez; Lambert

Sports Mole says: 2-2