Source: Northern_Echo
Match Preview: Portsmouth v Sunderland
PORTSMOUTH James Begovic Mokoena Kaboul Hreidarsson Mullins Brown Diop Boateng Utaka Piquionne[LNB] Bent Campbell Reid Henderson Cana Malbranque Zenden Turner Da Silva Bardsley Gordon SUNDERLAND[LNB] Sunderland subs (from): Fulop, Carson, Cattermole, Richardson, Jones, Healy, Murphy, Meyler, Reed, Noble, Liddle. Portsmouth subs (from): Vanden Borre, Ben-Haim, Wilson, Finnan, Webber, Basinas, Niemi.[LNB] SUNDERLAND: Plagued by injuries and suspensions recently, Sunderland have defender Michael Turner back from a ban. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon, out with a broken arm since November, starts and Kieran Richardson (calf) and Lee Cattermole and Andy Reid (both hamstring) are fit. John Mensah just misses out and full-back George McCartney has been sidelined by a virus but only Anton Ferdinand and Nyron Nosworthy otherwise remain on the casualty list. Matthew Kilgallon is ineligible. Suspensions: None Injuries: Mensah (hamstring), McCartney (ill), Nosworthy (knee), Ferdinand (ankle) Leading league scorer: Bent 14 Last five games: LWDDL Next game: Everton (a), 27/1[LNB] PORTSMOUTH: Pompey have not ruled out goalkeeper David James, despite the England international reportedly being on the brink of a move to Stoke. Steve Finnan and Younes Kaboul both return but Tommy Smith and Richard Hughes are sidelined with injuries. Africa Nations Cup quartet Kanu, Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda and Aruna Dindane remain absent. Suspensions: None Injuries: Smith (groin), Hughes (hamstring) Leading league scorer: Piquionne 6 Last five games: WDLLW Key player: Michael Brown - the Hartlepool-born midfielder will be looking to stifle the Cats' midfield.[LNB] FA Cup head to head: Sunderland 1, Portsmouth 0, draws 0 Referee: Peter Walton (Long Buckby) G18 Y40 R3 Av: 2.39 Last Sunderland game: v Aston Villa (a) 27/9/4, 2-1, Y2 R0 Odds: H 6/4; A9/5; D23/10[LNB] It's a fact: Sunderland have not won at Fratton Park since they defeated Pompey 4-1 in November 1997. Comment by Scott Wilson: Steve Bruce has demanded an immediate reaction to last week's humiliation and he is likely to get one. Prediction: 1-2[LNB]
