Just doing my routine morning trawl of BBC and spotted this:
Sunderland's Alan Hutton is unavailable due to the terms of his loan deal with Tottenham, so Phil Bardsley could take his place in defence.
John Mensah faces a late fitness test on his hamstring and David Meyler could return after an ankle problem.
Tottenham's Vedran Corluka, Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone have been ruled out and Wilson Palacios is a major doubt.
But Jermain Defoe has recovered from his hamstring injury and will start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunderland
Doubtful: Mensah (hamstring), Meyler (ankle)
Injured/unavailable: Hutton (ineligible under loan rules), McCartney & Reid (both hamstring)
Tottenham
Doubtful: Palacios (groin)
Injured: Corluka & Huddlestone (ankle), Cudicini (broken wrists), Dawson (hamstring), Jenas, Lennon & Woodgate (all groin), King (thigh), Rose (knee)
How many defensive players have Spurs got injured? Not only are all of their defence out, but also Palacious is a doubt, their very own Nigel De Jong. That can't bode well for them going into this difficult run of games, although one bonus for them is that Defoe is back.
PS. Spurs haven't won in their last 4 visits to the SoL, Drawn 2, Lost 2.