Sunderland face their penultimate Sky Bet Championship game of the season this Friday as Chris Coleman’s side head to Craven Cottage (KO 7.45pm).
The Lads will face a real test in West London against a Fulham side unbeaten in 22 games, with their last defeat coming at the Stadium of Light in December.
Read all you need to know about the game below…
JOB TO DO
Sunderland’s fate is already sealed and the Lads will play League One football next season. Last weekend’s late defeat to Burton Albion condemned the Black Cats to the third tier for only the second time in their history, but Coleman insists what’s done is done, and they still have a job to do. Playing for pride is an old cliché, but with the red and white army once again traveling in numbers, the Welshman will be hoping his side can produce something to be proud of
22 AND COUNTING
Josh Maja’s debut goal against Fulham back in December left the Cottagers in 12th place, and 18 points adrift of second-placed Cardiff City. Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds have looked odds on to follow Wolves into the Premier League throughout the campaign, but a stunning 22-game unbeaten run has seen Slavisa Jokanovic’s side close the gap to automatic promotion to just one point. The Cottagers have won four out of their last five games, with Cardiff losing three of theirs, and ahead of the game Jokanovic urged his players to turn up the heat on the Bluebirds.
FIRST-TEAM FOOTBALL > SCHOOL
A kickabout or double biology? We all know what we’d have picked at 16, but while we’d have settled for a game in the park, Bali Mumba is on another level. The midfielder has traveled to Craven Cottage with Coleman’s first-team squad, and he needs to look no further than the Fulham line-up to see age is but a number, with 17-year-old Ryan Sessegnon establishing himself as the most exciting talent outside the top tier. The PFA Young Player of the Year nominee has been a revelation this campaign, and regardless of where Fulham end up, the Premier League beckons for Sessegnon.
TEAM NEWS
Sunderland will be without Aiden McGeady on Friday evening, with Coleman revealing the Republic of Ireland international has been playing with injections for the past six weeks. Bryan Oviedo will also miss out but the Costa Rican is expected to return to training ahead of next weekend’s game against Wolves, with Lamine Kone and Josh Maja available for selection. Billy Jones’ chances of featuring at Craven Cottage rated as 50/50. Jokanovic, meanwhile, has named the same side for the last three games, with Floyd Ayite and Sheyi Ojo both missing all three.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
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Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett will be in the commentary booth from 7pm, with minute-by-minute analysis available right here and across social media from Twitter to Instagram.