Sunderland take on Wigan Athletic at the Stadium of Light in the Barclays Premier League - the 15th meeting between the two sides in all competitions.
The Black Cats are looking for their first league win since November 21 (1-0 v Arsenal) and currently sit 13th in the division with 24 points from 23 games.
Meanwhile Wigan lie two points and a single place behind Sunderland having played a game less. They have suffered three straight defeats in all competitions.
The Latics lost 2-0 to League Two side Notts County in an FA Cup Fouth Round Replay in midweek, losing to Everton (0-1) and Blackburn (1-2) prior to that.
Sunderland have won five, drawn four and lost two of their home games this season, scoring 18 and conceding 13 on home turf.
Wigan have registered three away wins in the league, drawing once and losing on eight occasions. They have scored 14 and conceded 33 away from home.
INJURY NEWS
Who's in, who's out?
Sunderland will again be without Anton Ferdinand (ankle) and Kieran Richardson (calf), while John Mensah will also miss out with a hamstring problem.
Otherwise, manager Steve Bruce is at full strength following successful returns by Michael Turner and Lee Cattermole.
Wigan will make a late check on the fitness of Mario Melchiot (neck), but goalkeeper Chris Kirkland (shoulder) is out. He will be likely be replaced by Vladimir Stojkovic.
MATCH FACTS
Useful stats ahead of the game.
- Wigan have the second-worst away defence in the division, conceding 33 goals. Only Burnley (35) have shipped more.
- Only Hull (49) have conceded more goals overall in the league than Wigan's tally of 47.
- Wigan's clean sheet against Sunderland earlier in the season was one of four shut-outs this season.
- Hugo Rodallega is Wigan's leading scorer this season with seven goals, all in the league. He also leads Wigan in assists (7) and shots (89). He has hit the woodwork once.
- Hendry Thomas has the worst disciplinary record of any Wigan player, having collected eight yellow cards and a red.
- Roberto Martinez has used 26 players so far this season in all competitions.
- Lee Cattermole was sent off for Wigan against Sunderland at the DW Stadium last season.
- Sunderland have scored 56.7% of their goals in the second half.
- Sunderland's tally of 18 goals at home is joint best (with West Ham) amongst teams in the bottom half of the table.
KEY BATTLES
A look at the crucial head-to-heads.
DARREN BENT v TITUS BRAMBLE
Wigan defender Titus Bramble will most likely be charged with keeping an eye on Sunderland's 15-goal top scorer.
Goals have flowed freely for much of the season for Bent, who has been rejuvenated by his move to Wearside and has even forced his way back into the England reckoning.
But Bramble has been enjoying a renaissance of his own and credits current Black Cats boss Steve Bruce - formerly of Wigan - as a major influence on his career.
The stylish defender has been a new man since arriving in Lancashire from Newcastle, captaining the Latics and proving himself as more than a match for the Premier League's poachers.
Stopping Bent will be a key to the game for Wigan, and Bramble's aerial prowess combined with his ability to cover ground easily make him a natural choice to mark the Sunderland dangerman.
LEE CATTERMOLE v HENDRY THOMAS
Midfield will be a key battleground and former Wigan man Lee Cattermole will be looking to make his mark in the middle of the park from the first whistle.
Having recently returned from injury, Cattermole was back to his combative best against Stoke and his battle with Dean Whitehead showed the tough-tackling England U21 international backs down from no-one.
Likely operating alongside Lorik Cana, Cattermole's main task will be to lock down the centre of the park while doing his best to bomb forward, either closing the ball down when not in possession or launching attacks.
Here, he'll likely tussle with Thomas, a 24-year-old Honduran international who has adjusted well to life in England's top-flight. A specialist defensive midfielder, Thomas can break up the play well but can also cause problems from deep positions.
Neither player will shirk away from a challenge, and when Cana is added to the mix, there could well be fireworks in the middle of the park.
ALAN HUTTON v CHARLES N'ZOGBIA
Newly-signed defender Alan Hutton is likely to make his debut against Wigan, who boast one of English football's most in-form wingers in the shape of Charles N'Zogbia.
The former Newcastle man was prised away from Tyneside by Steve Bruce during his tenure in Lancashire, and his package of pace, skill and ability to deliver the ball have made him a formidable opponent.
But there's not many better-placed than Bruce to brief Hutton, who must keep N'Zogbia well under wraps if he's to have the space and time to launch his trademark attacking raids down the Sunderland right.
Hutton - who cost Spurs £9m from Rangers - has shown he is adept at both ends of the pitch. He'll need to keep his wits about him as Wigan will most likely look to give N'Zogbia possession at every opportunity.
LAST TIME OUT
What happened the last time the two sides met?
Wigan Athletic 1 Sunderland 0 (Click here for match report)
DW Stadium - Saturday 28th November 2009
Hugo Rodallega's 76th-minute goal condemned Sunderland to defeat on the road after they flattered to deceive at Wigan.
Rodallega outstripped Paulo Da Silva and fired a low shot under Marton Fulop to secure a victory the hosts probably deserved.
The hosts bounced back from a 9-1 mauling at Spurs, while Darren Bent had the best chance for Sunderland in the first half.
Wigan: Kirkland, Bramble, Scharner, Melchiot, Boyce, Figueroa, N'Zogbia, Diame, Thomas, Scotland (Gomez, 55), Rodallega.
Subs Not Used: Koumas, Amaya, Sinclair, Pollitt, Cho, McCarthy.
Sunderland: Fulop, Turner, Bardsley, Da Silva (Zenden, 84), McCartney (Healy, 84), Richardson, Cana, Henderson, Malbranque (Campbell, 45 ), Reid, Bent.
Subs Not Used: Ferdinand, Carson, Nosworthy, Mensah.
BIG MATCH QUOTES
What are the key men saying ahead of the game?
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce: "I expect Wigan to be open and expansive - it's going to be a different type of game. One thing that wasn't in question on Monday was the endeavour. We're getting a few people back from injury and just the right time, and with a full healthy squad we'll be okay."
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole: "Maybe there is [extra incentive], but maybe not as much as when I went back to Middlesbrough, which was a bigger occasion because I had a lot of friends and family there who were also Middlesbrough fans. I'm trying to see Wigan as just another game."
Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon: "Wigan have had a reasonable season and will be looking at this game as a possibility for getting points, and it's up to us to be as strong and as physical as we were on Monday. If we can get a bit more quality into our game and create more chances, then we've got the guys up at the other end of the pitch who can take them."
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez: "It's important for us to understand that we're in a period where we are getting heavily punished for the slightest mistakes, and we need to make sure that doesn't affect our standards and we keep on improving. When you look back at the Everton game they only had one opportunity in the second-half which they took, and you get into periods where you must make sure that previous results don't affect future performances."
THE GAFFER
A profile of Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez.
Roberto Martinez is in his first season as a manager in the Barclays Premier League following his arrival at Wigan in the summer.
The highly-rated Spaniard was lured away from Swansea by Latics chairman Dave Whelan after Steve Bruce left the club to take the top job at the Stadium of Light.
He starred for Wigan as a player, making over 200 appearances after joining from Real Zaragoza in 1995. He later played for Motherwell, Walsall, Swansea and Chester.
The Swans handed Martinez his first job in management when he succeeded Kenny Jackett as manager at the Liberty Stadium in February 2007.
He quickly brought in a number of foreign stars and rewarded the Welsh club by guiding them to promotion to the Championship by season's end.
But after keeping City in football's second tier he caused controversy by heading for Wigan, later signing Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez from his former employers.
A noted exponent of passing football, Martinez is rated amongst the brightest young managerial talents in the game and is keen to make his mark on the top flight.
ONE TO WATCH
A look at Wigan's dangerman.
VICTOR MOSES
Wigan's big transfer window signing could be poised to make his debut for the Latics at the Stadium of Light.
Aged just 19, Moses is being touted as one of the brightest prospects around and Roberto Martinez had to beat off considerable interest from other clubs to land his man for a fee of £2.5m from Crystal Palace.
Born in Nigeria, Moses moved to England aged 11 after his parents were murdered and was scouted by Palace whilst playing in local leagues.
He quickly progressed through the club's Academy and has been capped by England at U16, U17 and U19 level.
The forward has been one of Palace's stars this season, scoring six times in 21 games and producing a string of excellent performances in the Championship.
A pacy striker blessed with power and exceptional finishing ability, Wigan are confident their new signing has what it takes to flourish in the Barclays Premier League.
MATCH COVERAGE
Where can you keep tabs on the game?
Live text updates from the Stadium of Light are available for free on safc.com, the club's official website.
The club's online multimedia service, SAFC TV, will be broadcasting online commentaries courtesy of BBC Newcastle and Real Radio. Click here to sign up today.
Fans can also follow @SAFCOfficial on Twitter (www.twitter.com/SAFCOfficial) to access live updates.
