PREM: Sunderland v Watford preview

Sunderland v Watford preview

Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchhoff is out of Saturday's Premier League clash with Watford and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee cartilage injury.

The German is to see a specialist over a tear to his lateral meniscus and although there is as yet no timescale, he seems certain to be out for several weeks at the very least, joining defenders Paddy McNair (knee) and Javier Manquillo (hamstring), midfielders Lee Cattermole (hip) and Lynden Gooch (ankle) and striker Duncan Watmore (cruciate ligament) on the casualty list.

Midfielder Didier Ndong is available after suspension, but defender Billy Jones (hip), midfielder Steven Pienaar (calf) and frontman Victor Anichebe (thigh) face late fitness tests.

Watford will be missing attacking midfielder Roberto Pereyra.

Though the exact nature of the knee injury he sustained against Manchester City is not yet known, Pereyra will definitely miss out in the north-east, along with Northern Ireland international Craig Cathcart (groin).

Valon Behrami will return from illness, while Troy Deeney is set to return to the starting line-up, as is Younes Kaboul, against his old club, having missed the past three Hornets fixtures with a calf strain.

Sunderland boss David Moyes  "The lack of transfer funds is a frustration with it, but obviously what I am going to do is I am going to stand up and stick my chest out and get on with it and see how we get on. I am going to fight for it and I would expect everybody else at the club to do the same. It gives me something to look at and say if we can getting everyone pulling 100 per cent together, if we can use the small squad, the group we have got and say, 'Look, we are in it, this is it, this is what we have got, come on. Pull together'. 'We have got to give 100 per cent in all the games - we can't have it any other way. Whether you are injured or not, patch yourself up, get out'... And you know sometimes, that can galvanise you as well. Maybe the supporters will see that as well. That's what we have to try to do."

Teams

Sunderland (from): Pickford, Mannone, Jones, Van Aanholt, Love, Kone, O'Shea, Djilobodji, Denayer, Ndong, Pienaar, Larsson, Januzaj, Borini, Khazri, Honeyman, Defoe, Anichebe, Asoro.

Watford (from): Gomes, Zuniga, Britos, Prodl, Holebas, Capoue, Behrami, Kaboul, Guedioura, Deeney, Amrabat, Okaka, Pantilimon, Watson, Janmaat, Kabasele, Ighalo, Sinclair, Success.