Sunderland v Swansea
Venue: Stadium of Light
Kick off: 3pm
Paul Clement believes Swansea are more than capable of avoiding relegation from the Premier League after improved performances in recent weeks.
The Swans manager sees his team go into Saturday’s match against Sunderland on a high having taken seven points from their last three matches, which has helped lift them above Hull in the battle to avoid the drop.
“The spirit this week has been excellent,” Clement said.
“We have had another boost in confidence after beating Everton. We have been on a good run going back to the Stoke game. We played well at Manchester United and then got the victory against a very good Everton side.”
Meanwhile, Sunderland will be without George Honeyman after he sustained a training ground injury in a collision with Lamine Kone.
Otherwise, David Moyes has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Wayne Routledge (hernia) and Angel Rangel (foot) have both stepped up their recovery in training this week and could be in contention to return for the trip to the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland are winless in their last four Premier League meetings with Swansea at the Stadium of Light since winning their first encounter 2-0 in January 2012.
Sunderland have won fewer points at home this season than any other Premier League team (14).
In fact, Sunderland are on the longest winless home run in the Premier League currently (nine games, D4 L5), failing to score in six of the last seven at the Stadium of Light.
Jermain Defoe has scored five goals in four previous Premier League appearances against Swansea for Sunderland, including a hat-trick in January 2016.
Defoe needs one more goal to surpass his total in the Premier League from last season (15) and have his best tally in a Premier League season since 2009/10 (18 for Spurs).
On the other hand, the Swans haven’t kept an away clean sheet in the Premier League since their opening game this season against Burnley, going 17 on the road without one.
Sunderland Possible XI: Pickford, Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Manquillo, Denayer, Didier Ndong, Borini, Januzaj, Anichebe, Defoe.
Swansea Possible XI: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Sung-Yueng Ki, Britton, Carroll, Sigurdsson, Ayew, Llorente.
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