| PROBABLE LINE-UPS |
SUNDERLAND  Mignolet Bardsley, O'Shea, Turner, Richardson Larsson, Colback, Gardner, McClean Campbell, Bendtner | LIVERPOOL  Reina Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique Henderson, Adam, Spearing, Bellamy Suarez, Carroll |
Martin O'Neill will be forced to reshuffle the side which were held to a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Newcastle, after Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon were handed four and three match bans respectively for their dismissals in the Tyne-Wear derby.
Wes Brown remains out with a knee injury sustained in the game against Norwich, but David Vaughan returns to the squad alongside goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who is available for the first time in over a year after battling a long-term knee injury.
Titus Bramble also returns to the squad after suffering with a calf strain of late, but he is unlikely to return straight into the starting eleven.
Liverpool face a couple of late fitness tests ahead of their trip north to Sunderland, with Steven Gerrard battling to return to the side after missing last week's game against Arsenal with a hamstring injury picked up on international duty with England.
Glen Johnson is the other member of the first-team squad struggling with injury, after picking up a hamstring strain in the Carling Cup final win over Cardiff.
Daniel Agger remains the only other person on the injury table for the away side, with the Dane likely to be sidelined for the remainder of March with cracked ribs.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
- Sunderland have posted victory over Liverpool just once in their last 11 attempts, with that win coming courtesy of the now infamous beach ball goal from Darren Bent in this fixture back in October 2009.
- That controversial strike is the only goal which Sunderland have managed in Liverpool's last five visits to the Stadium of Light.
- Sunderland have conceded a higher proportion of headed goals than any other Premier League side this season.
- Liverpool were held on the opening day of the season by Sunderland, as Sebastian Larsson's superb volley earned then-Mackems manager Steve Bruce a deserved 1-1 draw.
- The penalty miss from Dirk Kuyt (pictured right) against Arsenal last weekend marked the eighth Liverpool have missed from the spot this season in all competitions.
- Liverpool have the worst conversion rate of any Premier League side this campaign, turning just 8.6% of their shots into goals.
- Sunderland have won 19 points from their 13 home fixtures this season, whilst Liverpool have won 19 points from their 13 away fixtures.
- The Reds have picked up just five points from their last six games. In the same run of fixtures, Sunderland have notched 10 points.
Sunderland are still going well under Martin O'Neill but their expectations have been tempered recently by some more 'realistic' results.
A battling draw against Newcastle and the suspensions that has brought may just mean that the Reds can take the frustrations of Arsenal's smash and grab victory at Anfield last week out on the Mackems.
If Kenny Dalglish's men keep things tight then they should have more than enough up top to grab all three points.
A battling draw against Newcastle and the suspensions that has brought may just mean that the Reds can take the frustrations of Arsenal's smash and grab victory at Anfield last week out on the Mackems.
If Kenny Dalglish's men keep things tight then they should have more than enough up top to grab all three points.
Editor's Prediction
Sunderland 1-2 Liverpool 
