Sunderland are back in town this weekend following a two-week stint on the road, with Chris Coleman set to take charge of his first game at the Stadium of Light.
Reading are this weekend’s visitors and it’s set to be an interesting match-up as the Black Cats and the Royals vie for back-to-back wins.
THE COLEMAN EFFECT
Chris Coleman’s arrival on Wearside has provided a massive lift for everyone heading into Saturday’s game, not least because the Welshman guided Sunderland back to winning ways last weekend. An August win over Norwich City at Carrow Road marked the Black Cats’ most-recent league win prior to the trip to Burton Albion, but goals from James Vaughan and George Honeyman saw further optimism build ahead of a return to the Stadium of Light. There were signs of improvement in the 2-1 defeat at Villa Park and Coleman’s stamp on the side was even more evident at the Pirelli Stadium, with a long-awaited home win next on the agenda.
ROYALS ON THE MARCH
Play-off finalists last season, Reading have endured a tougher start to the season than many anticipated under Jaap Stam, with the Dutchman’s side currently 16th in the Sky Bet Championship. But November marked an upturn in form for the Royals, with Stam’s side winning two of their five games while losing on just one occasion. They put four past Derby County to start the month and three past Barnsley last time out, while also keeping back-to-back clean sheets against the Tykes and Sheffield Wednesday, with nine points separating the Royals and the top six heading into a pivotal month of second-tier action.
FAMILIAR FACES
Saturday’s match-up will see a number of players come up against their former employers. Lewis Grabban, who has been firing on all cylinders since moving to Wearside, was on loan at the Madjeski Stadium last season when he scored three goals in 16 appearances. Speculation has been swirling that AFC Bournemouth will recall the striker in January, and while Coleman confirmed the Cherries could do so he stated there has been no contact to date from the south-coast club. Grabban started last season’s play-off final for the Royals and he was team-mates with former Black Cat and Reading defender Paul McShane, with Vito Mannone also making his SoL return following a summer switch.
TEAM NEWS
Coleman will once again be without a host of key players as the medical team remain busy heading into the festive period. Lamine Kone and Billy Jones remain sidelined and long-term absentees Duncan Watmore and Jonny Williams are also unavailable, with Didier Ndong continuing to nurse a knee injury. Vaughan, who came off the bench to score at Burton, will miss out through suspension but Marc Wilson could feature after returning to training earlier this week. Josh Maja could also play a part but Coleman stated he won’t rush the youngster and any minutes will come from the bench. Reading, meanwhile, will be able to call upon John Swift following a hamstring injury, with Yann Kermorgant and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson also available.
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