Everton v Sunderland

Last updated : 25 February 2011 By BBC Sport

Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon is a doubt with a knee injury, while Jack Colback has a slight muscle strain.

Lee Cattermole has resumed light training but Fraizer Campbell, Michael Turner and David Meyler are still out.

Everton

Doubtful: Cahill (ankle), Rodwell (groin), Saha (hamstring)

Injured: Barkley (leg)

Sunderland

Doubtful: Gordon (knee), Colback (muscle strain)

Injured: Campbell, Meyler & Turner (all knee), Cattermole (back), Welbeck (hamstring)

MATCH PREVIEW

Fresh from their FA Cup fourth-round reply win at Chelsea last weekend, Everton return to Premier League action in high spirits and with a positive feeling about the rest of the season.

There is still so much to play for. We are still in the cup and the league is still tight and the places are there for the taking

Jack Rodwell, Everton midfielder

Toffees' supporters of a superstitious nature could even be forgiven for believing the club are in for an exciting end to the campaign with Sunderland up next. It is a well-known English adage that if a black cat crosses your path it's said to be lucky, and with the visitors nicknamed the Black Cats, there will be at least 11 taking to the Goodison Park pitch.

A 2-0 defeat at Bolton in Everton's last league game was labelled as "one of the worse performances" by manager David Moyes of his nine-year tenure. He is therefore eager for his side to secure just a seventh league win this term before the Toffees return to FA Cup action against Reading on Tuesday, with a quarter-final place up for grabs.

February has so far been a month of losses for Sunderland. On the pitch Steve Bruce's men have succumbed to Chelsea, Stoke and Tottenham, while off it the club announced pre-tax losses of ?27.9m for the year ending July 2010.

A return of just one win from four games since striker Darren Bent left the club is clearly worrying for Sunderland fans, yet their poor form has not been down to a lack of goals, more surprisingly down to their porous defence. The Black Cats started the season with 11 clean sheets in 22 games, but have since conceded 11 goals in their last five league matches.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• David Moyes' side traditionally enjoy their meetings with Sunderland - they have not been beaten by them in 12 Premier League encounters.

• Everton have won their last three home matches against the Black Cats, scoring 12 goals in the process.

• Sunderland's only Premier League win in nine attempts at Goodison Park came on their first trip, in November 1996, with teenage substitute Michael Bridges scoring twice in a 3-1 win.

Everton

• Victory for Everton would be their 1,200th at home in the league, although defeat would see the Toffees become the first Premier League club to lose 100 games at home.

• The Toffees have conceded at least twice in each of their last five league matches. They have kept only one clean sheet in 16 games.

• David Moyes is one short of collecting 500 points as a Premier League manager. He would be the fourth manager to reach the milestone after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp.

Sunderland

• The Black Cats have not won a Premier League match in the month of February since 2009; a 2-0 win at home to Stoke, some nine games ago.

• Steve Bruce has never managed a side to victory at Goodison Park in seven league attempts.

• Sunderland have led in each of their last three games but gone on to lose all of them. They have thrown away a league high 20 points this season.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Everton

Cahill: 9 goals (9 league); Saha: 9 goals (6 league)

Sunderland

Gyan: 10 goals (9 league); Welbeck: 6 goals (6 league)

NB. Bent scored 11 goals (8 league) for Sunderland before moving to Aston Villa.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Assistant referees: Trevor Massey & Adam Watts

Fourth official: Mike Jones

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Everton (L0-2 v Bolton, a): Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman (Osman 61), Arteta, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov (Beckford 61), Cahill, Anichebe (Baxter 78). Subs not used: Mucha, Hibbert, Jagielka, Duffy.

Sunderland (L1-2 v Tottenham, h): Gordon; Bardsley, Mensah, Bramble, Onuoha (Zenden 85), Malbranque (Elmohamady 76), Henderson, Muntari, Richardson, Gyan, Sessegnon. Subs not used: Mignolet, Angeleri, Riveros, Colback, Ferdinand.

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport