Bruce seeking home comforts as Baggies visit
Sunderland face West Brom at the Stadium of Light on Saturday with Black Cats boss Steve Bruce eager to put a difficult week behind him.It started with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Norwich on Monday evening before defender Titus Bramble was arrested and then bailed for an alleged sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.
The 30-year-old was swiftly suspended by the club until the police investigation is completed with Bruce keen to switch the attention back to matters on the pitch.
Not that things are much better on the field. The north east club are back in 15th with just five points from their opening six games.
That poor form stretches back into last season, particularly at the Stadium of Light.
They have won just three matches at home since the turn of the year, with one of those against Stoke a fortnight ago.
That 4-0 win over the Potters looked to have got Sunderland's stuttering season going, before this week's defeat at Carrow Road set them back once again.
The club's home displays proved to be the backbone of a solid start to the last campaign and Bruce is hoping a return to that form will lead to an early season revival.
Things haven't been much better for West Brom either. Roy Hodgson's men have won just once all season and currently sit second bottom in the table.
The former Liverpool boss is desperate for the club to avoid a repeat of last year, where a mid-season slump, which led to Hodgson replacing Roberto Di Matteo, meant they needed a remarkable run of results to keep themselves in the Premier League.
That feat, of course, was famously achieved but the Baggies will be keen not to make life difficult for themselves in the final third of the season by picking up some early points to lift them up the table.
Recent history suggests that Sunderland could be the ideal opponents for the Midlands club. The Baggies have taken more points away from home against the Wearsiders - seven - than against any other Premier League opponent and have won their last three games against the Black Cats.
Team news
Bramble will definitely miss the game after being suspended by the club until an investigation into allegations of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug has been completed.
Midfielder Sebastian Larsson has been playing after having pain-killing injections in a broken toe and his condition will be assessed, while striker Connor Wickham (groin) is a doubt and Craig Gordon and Fraizer Campbell (both knee) continue to work their way back to fitness.
West Brom central defender Gabriel Tamas is available for selection after completing a three-game suspension. But he faces a battle to regain his place following an impressive performance by summer signing Gareth McAuley in last weekend's goalless home draw with Fulham.
Defender Craig Dawson is expected to recover from the illness which meant he was unable to train on Thursday, but midfielder Zoltan Gera and striker Marc-Antoine Fortune are still sidelined through injury.
Possible starting XIs:
Sunderland: Mignolet, Brown, Richardson, O'Shea, Turner, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Elmohamady, Sessegnon, Bendtner.
West Brom: Foster, Olsson, Shorey, McAuley, Brunt, Reid, Thomas, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Long, Odemwingie.
Source:www.skysports.com
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