Premiership
Stadium of Light
Wednesday, 26 December; KO: 15:00 BST

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Premiership Table:


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striker Michael Chopra is a doubt with a heel injury he picked up at Reading on Saturday.

Liam Miller is still suspended, while Nyron Nosworthy (hamstring), Kieran Richardson (back) and Russell Anderson (ankle) are not yet ready to return.

Park Ji-sung could return to the Manchester United squad for the first time since March after knee surgery.

Edwin van der Sar (groin) is definitely out, while Rio Ferdinand (foot) and Owen Hargreaves (back) should be fit.


from:

Gordon, Ward, McShane, Halford, Harte, Higginbotham, Collins, Yorke, Etuhu, Leadbitter, Wallace, Whitehead, Kavanagh, O'Donovan, Jones, Chopra, Connolly, Murphy, Stokes, Cole




Kuszczak, Heaton
Brown, O'Shea, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Evans, Evra
Fletcher, Ronaldo, Nani, Eagles, Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson, Giggs, Park
Tevez, Rooney, Saha


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Sunderland manager Roy Keane on recent refereeing decisions:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy Keane "You just keep hoping that over the course of the season these decisions will even themselves out. "It hasn't for the last few weeks but we hope, come May, that we look back and say 'well some went for us and some went against us'. "At the moment they are all going against us."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir Alex Ferguson "December is a very important month. "If we get through Christmas, we have tough away games at Sunderland and West Ham and Birmingham at home, and are still with Arsenal we have a chance. "We have Nani, Saha and Park all back in the squad, but there won't be a lot of changes."

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BIG-MATCH FACTS


Third bottom meets second top at the Stadium of Light;
Roy Keane comes up against his old boss for the first time on home soil.

Manchester United have won more league games on the road (four), than Sunderland have managed home and away (three).

The Black Cats have registered one win in 12 league outings;
the Red Devils have won four on the bounce.

Sunderland have a 50% win record in Premier League matches on Boxing Day;
won three of six, but not since the 0-3 triumph over Blackburn at Ewood Park in 2001.

Middlesbrough beat Manchester United on Boxing Day in 2002.
It was the only occasion United have lost a Premier League fixture on 26 December, they have won 11 of 12, including the last four.

United are unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches against Sunderland.
They've won eight and drawn three since losing 2-1 at Roker Park on the 8 March 1997.

CLUB FORM:

Club stats
Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES





Kenwyne JONES
is Sunderland's top scorer with four Premier League goals.


Michael CHOPRA
is a double shy of 50 career league goals (Newcastle, Watford, Barnsley, Cardiff and Sunderland).

Last season's top scorer

David CONNOLLY
needs one goal to total 100 in his league career (Watford, Wolves, Wimbledon, West Ham, Leicester, Wigan and Sunderland).

If selected:-

Danny COLLINS will be making his 100th appearance for Sunderland.

Dickson ETUHU will be making his 250th club career appearance (Manchester City, Norwich, Preston and Sunderland).

Anthony STOKES will be making his 50th club career appearance in England and Scotland (Falkirk and Sunderland).

Andrew COLE, Danny HIGGINBOTHAM, Kieran RICHARDSON and Dwight YORKE will be facing a former club.

HIGGINBOTHAM will be playing three days before his 29th birthday.

Suspended:-

Liam MILLER








Cristiano RONALDO
is Manchester United's top scorer with 16 goals.



RONALDO
is also their
leading Premier League marksman with 11

and
leads the race for the Barclays Golden Boot

If on the field from the outset:-

Wayne ROONEY will be making his 150th start in a United shirt.

Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th club league start (Manchester United, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).

Long term injury, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start for Manchester United.

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

1 September 2007 - Ref: Martin Atkinson


scorer:












Saha 72