With Wigan Athletic picking up a win against West Bromwich Albion this weekend, they've moved to within a couple of points of Sunderland, who continue to teeter on the brink of the relegation zone. The Black Cats suffered a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in their last game, and the novelty of Paolo Di Canio's chest-thumping seems to have worn off.
Sunderland vs. Stoke: Preview and TV schedule
With Sunderland only a place and a couple of points outside the relegation zone, Monday’s game offers a great chance to open up a bigger margin.
A couple of weeks ago it looked like Stoke could be dragged into the bottom three, too, though after stringing together two consecutive victories, their advantage over the relegation zone should be enough for them to survive the drop.
They travel to the Stadium of Light to play Sunderland on Monday, searching for only their third win away from home this season. They could be without Marc Wilson, Andy Wilkinson and Glenn Whelan, who are all in doubt with injuries. However, they've got no long-term absentees.
That's in contrast to Sunderland, who will continue to miss Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher and Wes Brown, while Connor Wickham and Titus Bramble could be sidelined.
Sunderland injuries and suspensions
Out: Lee Cattermole (knee), Steven Fletcher (ankle), Wes Brown (knee) In doubt: Connor Wickham (calf), Titus Bramble (calf)
Stoke injuries and suspensions
Out: None In doubt: Marc Wilson (hamstring), Andy Wilkinson (back), Glenn Whelan (groin)
Match Date\Time: Monday, 8 p.m. local, 3 p.m. ET
Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England
TV: ESPN2 (U.S. English), ESPN Deportes (U.S. Spanish), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: ESPN3
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