Gus Poyet confident on Wes Brown fitness

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has revealed that defender Wes Brown should be fit for his side's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The 34-year-old missed the Black Cats' defeat to Hull City in the quarter-final of the FA Cup on Sunday with a knock, but his manager is confident that he will play against the Eagles.

However, Poyet is not hopeful that midfielder Craig Gardner will feature at the Stadium of Light.

He told the club's official website: "We need to wait. Wes, probably, I would think that he's nearly 100%.

"With Craig, we will wait to see how he reacts as he was feeling it [on Friday] for the first time – maybe he will take a little bit longer."

Sunderland are 19th in the Premier League with 24 points after 26 games this season.