2:20pm Friday 19th March 2010
By Paul Fraser
SUNDERLAND
Gordon
Hutton Turner Mensah Ferdinand
Campbell Meyler Richardson Malbranque
Bent Jones
Jerome Benitez
Bowyer Gardner Ferguson Fahey
Ridgewell Dann Johnson Carr
Hart
BIRMINGHAM
Sunderland subs: Cattermole, Zenden, Reid, Kilgallon, Carson (gk), Bardsley, Noble, McCartney, Da Silva, Henderson.
Birmingham subs: McFadden, Larsson, Taylor (gk), Phillips, Madera, Tainio, Queudrue, Sammons, Parnaby.
SUNDERLAND: Steve Bruce is monitoring the fitness of Andy Reid, Lee Cattermole and Kenwyne Jones ahead of today’s match, with all three likely to be involved. Bolo Zenden has also been struggling with a knee problem this week but should be fit.
David Meyler is likely to continue in the middle regardless of who returns to fitness.
Suspensions: Cana 1
Injuries: None
Leading league scorer: Bent 18
Last five league games: DWDLD
BIRMINGHAM: Former Middlesbrough defender Stuart Parnaby has recovered from an ankle problem which kept him out of their last match with Everton. He’s unlikely to start, while
Teemu Tainio is unable to play against his employers under the rules of his loan agreement from Sunderland.
Suspensions: None
Injuries: Carsley (ankle), O’Connor (hips)
Leading league scorer: Jerome 8
Last five league games: DWWLL
Key player: Barry Ferguson – the Scotland midfielder has looked a bargain at just £1m.
Referee: Peter Walton (Long Buckby) G27 Y61 R5 Cd Av: 2.44
Last Sunderland game: v Portsmouth (a) 2-0, 23/1/10, Y2 R0
League head to head: Sunderland 48, Birmingham 35, Draws 20
Odds: H5/4; A9/4; D11/5
It’s a fact: In Sunderland’s record breaking season in 1998-99 Niall Quinn (21) and Kevin Phillips (25) scored a memorable 46 goals
between them.
Comment By Paul Fraser: Sunderland have looked like a top ten team again in the last two matches so we can expect that to continue today – even if it is against a buoyant
City.
Prediction: 2-0
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