Sunderland travel to the Potteries on Saturday and they will be in desperate need of points to get away from the relegation zone as they face in form Stoke.

Stoke come into this game having been able to stop a four game winless run with a comeback victory at home to Southampton last week. Goals from Mame Biram Diouf and Charlie Adam quelled critic's ideas that Mark Hughes side were already on the beach.

Hughes will really want his players to keep going as he has a chance to make history by getting the Potters to their highest ever points total and also highest possible finish with eighth spot a realistic possibility.

Sunderland meanwhile have had two weeks to stew on their 4-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace due to Arsenal's FA Cup run. Just six days after beating their local rivals, the Black Cats capitulated in the opening 20 minutes of the second half after a host of individual errors.

That was the third game in charge for Dick Advocaat who has seen a return of three points since his arrival but double that has to be the minimum requirement if the Mackems are to have any chance of staying up with this game being the start of a really tough run in, especially away from home.

Team News

Stoke still have the same long term absentees in terms of injury with both Victor Moses and Marc Muniesa ruled out due to hamstring injuries and they join Bojan who suffered ligament damage back in January.

Sunderland weill be without Sebastian Larsson who will serve the final game of his two game suspension and striker Steven Fletcher looks set to miss the trip with a minor ankle injury.

Stats

Stoke are the only team in the Premier League not to have had a man sent off.

Sunderland have the lowest top scorer in the league with Adam Johnson, Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham all having netted four times.

Biram Diouf has scored in his last three home league games for Stoke. 

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About the author
Jamie Joslyn
20 year old sports journalism at Sunderland University, huge Sunderland fan