By Geoff Pruce

Sunderland v Fulham | Wednesday 8th February 2023 | 7.45pm | Stadium of Light | #SUNFUL

The opposition

  • Since our meeting at the end of January, Sunderland have returned to London to take on Millwall, earning a 1-1 draw at the Den.
  • The draw was an important one, as it prevented the Lions from pulling away from them in the Play-Off hunt, with Sunderland just a point behind them in the Championship standings, and two off sixth place.
  • It was one in, one out, for the Mackems on deadline day. Centre-back Bailey Wright headed to Rotherham United on loan, while young defender Joe Anderson came in on a permanent deal from Everton.
Amad Diallo and Manor Solomon battle for possession

Sunderland team news

Joe Gelhardt is cup-tied, while his fellow loanee Anderson won’t be eligible as he wasn’t a Sunderland player at the time of the original tie. Ross Stewart suffered a season ending injury in that match, while Dennis Cirkin collected a head injury scoring their equaliser at the weekend, and is subsequently ruled out due to concussion protocols. Corry Evans and Elliot Embleton won’t play again in 2022/23.

Fulham team news

Cédric Soares and Saša Lukić cannot play, for the same reason as Anderson. Marco Silva has insisted he will field the team best equipped to win the game, but also acknowledged the close proximity of our Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. The boss himself will be serving a touchline ban on Wednesday, having picked up a fourth booking of the season at Stamford Bridge.

Tickets

Fans can purchase tickets over the phone (0203 871 0810) or in person up until 5pm on Tuesday, but will need to collect them from the Ticket Office before that time, or from Sunderland on the day. No tickets will be available to purchase on matchday.

Coverage

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, while FFCtv subscribers can listen to live commentary from Gentleman Jim. A full list of overseas broadcasts can be found below.

Sunderland v Fulham TV listings

Weather

It will be three degrees in Sunderland on Wednesday evening. There may be some rain throughout the day, but it should remain dry for the match.

Fan support

Fans are politely reminded to be considerate of those around them when celebrating goals and on public transport at away matches.

Top scorers

Sunderland: Ross Stewart (11)

Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrović (11)

Form

Sunderland: WLWDD

Fulham: WLLDD