Sunderland v Liverpool (Sun)

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Stadium of Light Date: Sunday, 20 March Kick-off: 1330 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day 2; listen on talkSPORT, BBC Radio 5 live and full commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8FM,; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

TEAM NEWS

Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole is poised to return after nearly three months out with a back injury.

The Black Cats will also be boosted by the recovery of Nedum Onuoha and Bolo Zenden from calf problems.

Liverpool continue to be without captain Steven Gerrard, who is out for a month following a groin operation.

Defender Daniel Agger may be fit for a place among the substitutes after missing the last four matches with a knee injury.

Sunderland

Injured: Campbell (knee/fitness), Meyler & Turner (both knee)

Liverpool

Doubtful: Agger (thigh)

Injured: Aurelio & Kelly (both hamstring), Gerrard (groin), Shelvey (knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

Liverpool head to the north east looking to bounce back from the first major setback of ‘King Kenny’s’ reign, and with their participation in Europe next season in serious doubt.

Fifth is still do-able. There are nine games to play and a lot of points Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina

Braga ended the Merseyside club’s Europa League interest on Thursday and, with Stoke or Bolton likely to land a European place courtesy of the FA Cup, Liverpool now need a fifth-place finish in the league to qualify for continental competition.

While far from an impossible dream – only Manchester United and Arsenal have picked up more Premier League points in 2011 – the prospect of the club failing to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1999 now seems inevitable.

The Reds have lost all three of their Premier League away games directly following a Europa League match this season, good news for a Sunderland side looking for their first win at the Stadium of Light since New Year’s Day.

The Black Cats suffered four successive league defeats in February, but a hard-fought draw with Arsenal last time out was a timely confidence boost, and the subsequent two-week break has allowed a lengthy injury list to shorten considerably, with Lee Cattermole, Nedum Onuoha, Danny Welbeck and Bolo Zenden all in contention to feature on Sunday.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Sunderland have beaten Liverpool just twice in 19 Premier League meetings, most recently in last season’s reverse fixture, when Darren Bent’s infamous ‘beach ball’ goal secured a 1-0 win for the Black Cats.

• Sunderland have only scored three goals in their last nine Premier League games against Liverpool – all were netted by the now-departed Bent.

Sunderland

• The Black Cats are winless in five league matches, losing four and drawing one.

• No side has lost more points at home from leading positions than Sunderland this season (10).

• Just seven different players have scored a league goal for Sunderland this season, the fewest in the Premier League.

Liverpool

• A Liverpool victory would be the 250th league win of Kenny Dalglish’s managerial career (at Liverpool, Blackburn and Newcastle).

• Only Wolves (7) have conceded more goals in the last minute of Premier League matches this season than Liverpool (6).

• The Reds have taken 17 points from their last eight Premier League matches. Only Arsenal (18) have won more in this period.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Sunderland

Gyan: 10 goals (9 league); Welbeck: 6 goals (6 league)

NB. Bent scored 11 goals (8 league) for Sunderland before moving to Aston Villa.

Liverpool

Kuyt: 9 goals (7 league); Gerrard: 8 goals (4 league);
Ngog: 8 goals (2 league)

NB. Carroll has scored 11 goals (11 league) for Newcastle; Torres scored 9 goals (9 league) for Liverpool before joining Chelsea.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Kevin Friend

Assistant referees: Billy Smallwood & Adam Watts

Fourth official: Martin Atkinson

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Sunderland (D0-0 v Arsenal, a): Mignolet; Ferdinand, Mensah, Bramble, Bardsley, Henderson (Colback 87), Muntari, Malbranque (Welbeck 68), Richardson, Sessegnon, Gyan (Elmohamady 78). Subs not used: Gordon, Riveros, Knott, Noble.

Liverpool (W3-1 v Man Utd, h): Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio (Kyrgiakos 24), Gerrard, Lucas, Kuyt, Meireles (Carroll 74), Maxi, Suarez (Cole 89). Subs not used: Gulacsi, Ngog, Spearing, Poulsen.