Sunderland vs Liverpool - Match Preview

Team news ahead of Liverpool's trip to the Stadium of Light tonight for the 3pm Premier League kick-off against Sunderland. The match is not being screened live anywhere in the UK. Sunderland will be without duo Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon who were both sent off in the heated Tyne/Wear derby last Sunday. Cattermole will be missing for four games having collated ten yellow cards and a red card for speaking out against referee Mike Dean after the final whistle had gone. For Sessegnon, he will miss three games after picking up a straight red for elbowing Cheick Tiote in that game. Those key players will be a big loss for the Black Cats who may also be without Kieran Richardson who is nursing a calf injury. On loan Manchester City leftback Wayne Bridge is on stand by having replaced Richardson last week. John O'Shea is expected to play with a protective cast over the broken bone in his hand. Central defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos (heel) is also a doubt, but 'keeper Kieren Westwood is definitely missing with a wrist injury. For Liverpool, captain Steven Gerrard returns after picking up a minor hamstring injury whist playing for England in the friendly against Holland. Full-back Glen Johnson was pulled out of the international squad before that game but should be fit for today. Jamie Carragher is expected to continue in the central of defence with Daniel Agger still missing with a cracked rib.

Line-ups from;

Sunderland (from): Provisional squad: Mignolet, Gordon, Bardsley, Bridge, O'Shea, Turner, Kilgallon, Kyrgiakos, Lynch, Gardner, Larsson, Elmohamady, McClean, Vaughan, Meyler, Colback, Bendtner, Wickham, Ji, Campbell. Liverpool (from): Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique, Adam, Spearing, Downing, Gerrard, Bellamy, Suarez, Doni, Kelly, Coates, Shelvey, Henderson, Rodriguez, Kuyt, Carroll.