Sunderland V Man Utd Barclays Premier League Match 5 -October 2013. Loan striker Fabio Borini returns to the Sunderland squad after being ineligible to play against parent club Liverpool last weekend.Steven Fletcher (dislocated shoulder), Wes Brown (calf) and Andrea Dossena (thigh) are still out.Watch Sunderland V Man Utd Live, Watch Sunderland V Man Utd Live Stream, Watch Sunderland V Man Utd Free Live Stream, Watch Sunderland V Man Utd Online, Watch Sunderland V Man Utd Online Free, Sunderland V Man Utd Live, Sunderland V Man Utd live stream Online.
Wayne Rooney should start for Manchester United if he recovers from a shin injury sustained in training on Tuesday.
Rio Ferdinand (groin) and Tom Cleverley are both injury doubts.
MATCH PREVIEW
As a destination to 'get away from it all', Donetsk wouldn't feature prominently in travel brochures. But this week's long Champions League trip to the furthest reaches of Ukraine might have done Manchester United the world of good.
An improved performance, a point gained, and time away from the growing concern over United's worst ever start to a Premier League season certainly won't have done David Moyes any harm. As if he didn't know it already, the last fortnight has shown that "the most difficult job in football" (© anyone & everyone) - succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson - is exactly that
A game against the league's bottom club should bring some respite, but also huge pressures. Can you imagine the reaction and chatter if United lose again?
They've not lost three in a row in the Premier League for nigh on 12 years and they have never lost a league game at the Stadium of Light. They haven't even conceded a goal there in their last four visits.
Last season's 1-0 United win proved to be Martin O'Neill's final game as Sunderland boss, and the same could be true of Kevin Ball in his temporary tenure (second time round!).
The Interim Head Coach has acknowledged that something needs to happen on appointing Paolo Di Canio's successor after this game, and with the smart money on an experienced manager taking charge, Ball is unlikely to be that man.
Could a famous win in this game change that? We might well never know, although Ball does have history there. He was captain of the last Sunderland side to beat United in the league, back in 1997.
Here's another statistical quirk to end on. When Manchester United lost three in a row in 2001, their third defeat was against West Ham. Sunderland's John O'Shea played in that game for United, whilst United's Michael Carrick played for the Hammers - as did Paolo Di Canio.
Irrelevant? Yes. Interesting? To some of us.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Sunderland have not beaten Manchester United in the Premier League since March 1997, when they won 2-1 at home.
That is Sunderland's only victory over United in 24 Premier League meetings overall.
The highest-scoring match between the two clubs was a 5-3 United top-flight victory at Roker Park on Boxing Day in 1950.
Sunderland
Sunderland are now 10 games without a win or clean sheet in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory over Everton in April 2013.
The Black Cats remain one of only three teams that have yet to keep a Premier League clean sheet this season (alongside Crystal Palace and Fulham).
They had 23 shots against Liverpool last weekend - their most in a Premier League game since December 2011.
Manchester United
United have their lowest points tally after six games of a Premier League season. It's their worst top-flight start since 1989-90.
They have never won the title in a top-flight season where they've lost three or more of their opening six games. The last team to win the top-flight title after having lost three of their first six games was Portsmouth in 1949-50.
United are 12th going into Saturday's games - their lowest league position at this stage of a season since 1986.
Against West Brom, Wayne Rooney scored from a free-kick for the third Premier League game in a row. The last player to score more in a single season was Cristiano Ronaldo (four in 2008-09).