Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan hopes to be able to name the same side yet again.

Keegan has no new injury worries other than niggles and could select the 11 men who have started four of the last five games.

James Milner and Stephen Carr have an outside chance of making the squad after recovering from foot and hamstring injuries respectively and Claudio Cacapa (groin) and Peter Ramage (knee) are all closing in on returns, while Shay Given is still fighting his way back from groin surgery.

Sunderland midfielder Dickson Etuhu had admitted defeat in his efforts to recover from a knee injury ahead of the derby clash with Newcastle.

Etuhu this week had surgery to address ligament damage he sustained during the African Nations Cup and is out for the rest of the season.

Dwight Yorke has failed to shake off his own knee problem and is unlikely to figure at St James' Park, but manager Roy Keane otherwise has only a series of minor knocks to contend with.