Football News
Sunderland v Hull City: Match Preview
Following the demise of Middlesbrough and Newcastle United, the closest thing to a north-east derby in the Premier League this season is presented by Sunderland and Hull City, who lock horns at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.The Black Cats have invested heavily in their squad since the arrival of Steve Bruce as their new manager and £10million striker Darren Bent heads the list of new recruits.
The former Tottenham and Charlton Athletic striker has made a good start to life on Wearside, with fellow strike partner Kenwyne Jones also scoring vital goals as Sunderland have notched two wins so far this season.
Hull's start has been fair, as a KC Stadium defeat of Bolton Wanderers represented the Tigers' first home win in the Premier League in the calendar year.
A near-miss at Chelsea and a draw at Wolves has signalled Phil Brown's intent to keep his side in the top flight for a further season, although they will need plenty of improvement to reach the traditional safety mark of 40 points.
Sunderland may hand a debut to Michael Turner, the defender who left the Tigers last month in a big-money deal. Bruce has a largely healthy squad at present, which is in stark contrast to Brown who has to deal with some long-term injuries.
Tigers captain Ian Ashbee could miss the whole season with a cruciate ligament tear, while Jimmy Bullard and Richard Garcia are a few weeks away from returning to full training.
Fitness checks will be made on Dean Marney who has had a knee injury, while Anthony Gardner must prove his health ahead of the match.
Sunderland did the double over their east coast rivals last season, as they did in the Championship in the 2006-07 season.