Di Canio can't wait to get started at Chelsea

Di Canio takes charge of his first game since replacing Martin O'Neill when the Black Cats take on Chelsea looking to haul themselves away from trouble at the foot of the table.

The Blues have not lost at home in the league since January 2, while Sunderland have not recorded an away victory since they triumphed at Wigan on January 19.

But while few will give the Wearsiders much of a chance against a Chelsea side desperate for points as they attempt to qualify for next season's Champions League, Di Canio is confident of confounding the odds.

“As a manager, it is my first time at the top, I mean the very top level,” said the Sunderland boss. “(We are) away from home against Chelsea, where obviously I have good memories and scored when I was a footballer.

“But I'm not a footballer now, I'm a manager and now I hope my players will score there and give us some points.

“It's fantastic. The players will be motivated on their own – they live to play on the big stage. Obviously, we are going to give them extra motivation to try to get a very good result.

“Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, what can you say? I can't wait for it and I expect the same desire and determination from my players to make sure they do a good job.

“To go to Stamford Bridge and make a big impact, we always have to remember that the main protagonists are the players. But with the help of me and my staff, we can go there and get a result.”

It remains to be seen whether Di Canio decides to make wholesale changes for his first game in charge, although injuries to Lee Cattermole and Steven Fletcher mean his room for manoeuvre is somewhat limited.

He could opt to pair Connor Wickham with Danny Graham in attack, but is more likely to field a five-man midfield in an attempt to keep things tight in his first outing.

Seb Larsson could return to bolster the midfield after starting last weekend's defeat to Manchester United on the bench, while Carlos Cuellar could come into the defensive equation after missing Sunday's game through injury.

Since taking over from O'Neill at the weekend, Di Canio has made his number one priority restoring the morale and belief that has gradually ebbed away this season.

Too many of Sunderland's players appeared to believe they had no chance of beating Manchester United in the first half of Sunday's game, and while their performance improved after the break, they still failed to test David De Gea.

That is something Di Canio does not want to see repeated tomorrow, and he has urged his players to draw inspiration from some of their more memorable displays this season, such as the Boxing Day win over Manchester City.

“We have players of quality who can play good football with energy and ability, and get us enough points to get out of this,” he said. “It is obvious that in the last couple of games against Norwich and Manchester United, some players have not been fully confident, but I am sure me and my staff can help restore their belief.

“You don't forget how to play football, so hopefully we can help them to do their best and play the way they used to play. It is a hard job because we only have seven games to turn this around, but I am confident we can do it.”

Given the furore that surrounded his appointment, it will be interesting to see how Di Canio is greeted by Sunderland's travelling fans. Most are expected to receive him rapturously, although some supporters still harbour reservations about his past.

Either way, he is certain to be more popular than the manager in the opposing dug-out, with Rafael Benitez having faced a series of fans' protests ever since he was appointed as Roberto Di Matteo's successor.

“He said something in the past about (Frank) Lampard or Chelsea and was a sort of enemy because he used to be manager at Liverpool and there were many confrontations,” said Di Canio. “But I think he has done well because it's a difficult situation and he has dealt with it in every game.”