Pellegrini facing defensive headache
Sunderland vs Manchester City
Date: 19.45pm, Wednesday 3rd December 2014
Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: S Ledger, G Beswick Fourth Official: P Dowd
Odds: Sunderland 6/1, Draw 7/2, Manchester City 8/15
Tickets: Available
TV: Match of the Day (highlights)
Sunderland
Manager: Gus Poyet
Squad (from): Mannone, Pantilimon, Brown, Coates, O’Shea, Reveillere, Vergini, Alvarez, Bridcutt, Buckley, Cabral, Cattermole, Gomez, Johnson, Larsson, Mavrias, Rodwell, Altidore, Fletcher, Wickham.
Injured: Jones, Giaccherini, van Aanholt
Doubtful: Coates
Suspended: None
Form guide: DDDWLL
Manchester City
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Squad (from): Caballero, Hart, Wright, Boyata, Clichy, Demichelis, Sagna, Zabaleta, Fernandinho, Fernando, Lampard, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Sinclair, Toure, Aguero, Jovetic, Pozo.
Injured: Kolarov, Dzeko, Silva, Kompany, Nastasic
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Mangala
Form guide: WWDWLW
Manager Manuel Pellegrini faces a defensive headache ahead of the trip to Sunderland. Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic are injured, whilst Eliaquim Mangala is suspended following his red card at the weekend. David Silva, Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov remain sidelined through injury.
Pellegrini will choose either Bacary Sagna or Dedryck Boyata to partner Martin Demichelis in the centre of defence, as City seek to end a run of four successive 1-0 defeats at the Stadium of Light.
Pellegrini said: "It's a tough team to play. They defend very well and they know exactly what they must do. We hope this time we have more luck.
"They have a very good manager who knows the Premier League."
City's last away game at the Stadium of Light ended in a 1-0 defeat, for the fourth successive season. Overall City have won 63 of the 139 games played against Sunderland, with 26 draws and 50 defeats.
Read the views from Sunderland fan Sam Lightle here.
Prediction: Sunderland 1 Manchester City 1