Source: Northern_Echo
Matchfile: Manchester United v Sunderland
Manchester United: Foster, O'Shea, R Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Turner, A Ferdinand, Richardson, Reid, Cana, Cattermole, Malbranque, Bent, Jones
Sunderland subs (from): Fulop (gk), Da Silva, McCartney, Nosworthy, Henderson, Healy, Campbell, Murphy.
Man United subs (from): Kuszczak (gk), Neville, Anderson, Evans, Scholes, Giggs, Welbeck, Macheda.
SUNDERLAND: John Mensah picked up a calf strain in midweek forcing Steve Bruce to reshuffle his defence yet again. Anton Ferdinand will be hoping to face brother Rio while Phil Bardsley and Paulo Da Silva contest the right-back berth. Lee Cattermole has been passed fit.
Injuries: Mensah (calf)
Suspensions: None
Leading League scorer: Jones 6
Last five League games: WLWLW
Next game: v Liverpool (H), 17/10
MAN UNITED: Sir Alex Ferguson will be without Michael Owen who suffered a groin strain against Wolfsburg. Ben Foster will return to United's goal despite Poland international Tomasz Kuszczak playing in midweek. Ji-Sung Park is a doubt after he picked up a virus while Rafael is struggling to shake off a shoulder problem.
Injuries: Owen (groin) Hargreaves (knee), Obertan (back), Van der Sar (thumb)
Suspensions: None
Leading League scorer: Rooney 6
Last five League games: WWWWW
Key player: Patrice Evra - top quality left back
Last season 1-0
Referee: Alan Wiley (Burntwood, Staffs) G8 Y28 R1 Av3.6
Last Sunderland game: v Blackburn Rovers 2-1 (W), 22/08/09, Y3 R0
Head to head: Sunderland 37, Man United 49, draw 26
Odds: H1/5, A14/1, D5/1
Its a fact: Sir Alex Ferguson is undefeated in his 12 encounters with sides managed by Steve Bruce.
Comment by Scott Wilson: Sunderland have improved under Bruce, but the change has not been big enough to produce a result.
Prediction: 2-0
