Dick Advocaat may bring back Jermain Defoe for Sunderland
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat does not envisage any fresh injury concerns ahead of his side's Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Advocaat will be tempted to restore Jermain Defoe to his starting line-up after leaving the former Hammers striker on the bench for last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Defoe has fully recovered from the hamstring problem that dogged him in the build-up to the trip to Old Trafford while Jack Rodwell is also aiming to return from an ankle injury, but Adam Matthews (ankle) remains sidelined.
Advocaat cut short his pre-match press conference after failing to clarify speculation about his future.
Some reports have suggested Advocaat - whose side are rooted to the foot of the table without a win - will quit the Black Cats if they fail to claim their first three points against Slaven Bilic's men.
Advocaat sought to deflect a series of questions on the subject before leaving the media room at the club's training ground less than two minutes into the section of the conference reserved for newspaper journalists.
Advocaat said: "I always think in facts and the fact is it is now Friday and I am the manager of Sunderland, and I am the manager of Sunderland tomorrow as well.
"What will happen on Sunday or a week on Sunday or nine months after Sunday, then I will tell you real story, but now I'm still here and nothing has changed."
Advocaat, who has grown increasingly exasperated by his side's below-par displays, reiterated his recent insistence that if and when he feels it is time to leave the Black Cats he will do so.
He added: "I told you that when I feel it's the time to do something then I will do that, and today is not the time to do something.
"For me the most important thing is to discuss what is happening tomorrow and that is the reason I am here - not maybe what will happen tomorrow or a week tomorrow or in nine months' time.
"The fact is I am here and tomorrow I am here, but what happens after that is (the same as) for all the managers - everything can change in a day or a week or nine months."
West Ham are looking for their fourth consecutive away victory in the league after already beating Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City on the road this season.
The Hammers surprised all three with incisive counter-attacking football but Bilic is expecting a different challenge against the struggling Black Cats.
"The situation is created by the media that they need the win, it's not like if they don't win they are down," Bilic said.
"Sometimes when you're under that kind of pressure it gives you something extra to make you better than you normally are.
"If you're under pressure and you have a good start you become something you are not and the other way round.
"I don't expect them to be a stable team. They will either be great, or stiff."
Striker Andy Carroll could make his first league start in more than eight months.
Carroll tore ligaments in his knee in February but came off the bench against Norwich last weekend and is expected to shake off a sore ankle ahead of the game at the Stadium of Light.
Angelo Ogbonna (hamstring) and Alex Song (ankle) are both out while Winston Reid is a doubt with a hip problem. Enner Valencia has returned to light training following a knee injury but is short of match fitness.
Source: PAR
