Sunderland will play their first home game of the season when they host Fulham at the Stadium of Light on Sunday in the Premier League matchday 2 encounter.
Sunderland vs Fulham – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 30th August.
- Kick-off: 2pm BST.
- Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
Sunderland team news
Sunderland head into this weekend’s clash dealing with a mix of forced absences and exciting selection dilemmas.
The Black Cats will definitely be without key left winger Simon Adingra, who remains sidelined for approximately six weeks while recovering from an ankle injury picked up during pre-season.
Additionally, new summer signing Dayann Methalie is unavailable as he serves a one-match suspension carried over from his yellow card accumulation in France last season.
On a brighter note, fellow new arrival Jules Ahoka is fully registered after his transfer from Royal Antwerp and is expected to feature in the matchday squad, most likely starting on the bench.
Regis Le Bris also receives a major defensive boost as both Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete have completely overcome their respective pre-season fitness concerns.
Both defenders are pushing hard for a spot in the starting eleven alongside Thomas Ballard and Reinildo Mandava.
Fulham team news
Fulham’s squad depth looks remarkably healthy ahead of their trip to the Stadium of Light, with manager Álvaro Arbeloa missing only one senior player due to injury.
Club captain Tom Cairney remains the Cottagers’ sole major absentee as he continues his recovery from a minor surgical procedure on his knee.
He is expected to return to full training shortly after the upcoming September international break. In contrast, the defensive unit receives a significant boost with the return of star centre-back Joachim Andersen, who is fully cleared to play after serving his multi-match suspension.
Meanwhile, teenage defender Luc De Fougerolles is a major doubt after picking up a knock during the midweek Carabao Cup triumph over AFC Wimbledon. He will undergo a late fitness test, but Calvin Bassey and Andersen are highly tipped to anchor the backline ahead of Bernd Leno.
Form
Sunderland
Sunderland are looking to bounce back after a difficult start to their new Premier League campaign. The Black Cats suffered a narrow 2-1 opening-day defeat against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. While they showed flashes of positive attacking intent through a Nilson Angulo equalizer, defensive lapses ultimately cost them late in the game. This result followed a reasonably strong pre-season run that included confidence-boosting victories over Stade Rennais and RC Lens.
Fulham
Fulham head into this fixture boosted by a convincing 3-0 midweek victory over AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup second round, where Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz found the net. However, Álvaro Arbeloa’s side is still searching for their first league points after losing a thrilling 3-2 opening-day battle against Chelsea at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers boast a strong head-to-head record against Sunderland, having won both league encounters last season.
Predicted lineups
Sunderland: Roefs; Meunier, Ballard, Alderete, Mandava; Sadiki, Xhaka; Hume, Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Andersen, Robinson; Iwobi, Berge; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia
How to watch Sunderland vs Fulham?
You can watch the Sunderland vs Fulham match live in the UK on Sky Sports+.
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