Norwich v Sunderland preview

Norwich will again be without centre-half Zak Whitbread (hamstring) for the match. Manager Paul Lambert has no fresh injury worries, and could freshen his team up after making half a dozen changes for last week's win at Bolton, with captain Grant Holt pressing for a recall. Defenders Elliott Ward (knee) and Dani Ayala (both knee) remain out. Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will again be without full-back Phil Bardsley for the trip to East Anglia. Bardsley will sit out the second of four games through suspension after being charged on video evidence with a second sending-off offence for the season during the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea. Bruce otherwise has no fresh concerns with midfielder David Meyler having played 45 minutes for the reserves in midweek, although he is not yet ready to return to senior action after a second serious knee problem, while Craig Gordon and Fraizer Campbell (also knee) continue to work their way back to fitness. Norwich (from): Ruddy, Tierney, Barnett, R Martin, Naughton, Fox, Johnson, Hoolahan, Crofts, Pilkington, Holt, Bennett, Morison, Vaughan, C Martin, de Laet, Surman, Rudd. Black Cats (from): Mignolet, Westwood, Brown, O'Shea, Richardson, Turner, Bramble, Laing, Cattermole, Gardner, Vaughan, Larsson, Colback, Elmohamady, Bendtner, Sessegnon, Wickham, Ji, McClean, Cook.