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MIDDLESBROUGH v SUNDERLAND - SUNDERLAND READY FOR DERBY CLASH
Sunderland skipper Dean Whitehead is hoping for a repeat performance as his side makes the short trip south to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The 25-year-old midfielder was in the side which headed for the Riverside Stadium two years ago and returned with a 2-0 victory.
It was the Black Cats' first league win of the season and one of only three they managed the entire campaign as they hurtled back into the Coca-Cola Championship with a record low 15 points.
Tomorrow, Whitehead will be on the sidelines as he recovers from knee ligament damage, leaving Nyron Nosworthy as the only survivor of the 11 men who ran out that day.
That is an illustration of the wind of change which has blown through the Stadium of Light since September 25, 2005.
Whitehead said he would happily settle for the same again on Teesside after last weekend's 2-1 win over Reading ended a run of four successive defeats.
He said: "It was our first win in the league at the time. It was a good win, a good performance and hopefully we can go there and do the same again.
"It was difficult start for us, but we had some tough games in that spell.
"The Reading game was a big game and we won that, so we are going to kick on now and hopefully have another good result against Middlesbrough at the weekend."
Whitehead's disappointment at his injury has been tempered by last week's news that he could return by mid-November rather than having to sit out for the six months it was initially feared he would miss.
However, he admits a tinge of regret at not being able to line up this weekend in direct opposition to former team-mate Julio Arca, who scored for the Black Cats in that win on Teesside.
He said: "Julio is playing in central midfield at the moment, so it would have been nice to play against him.
"He's doing really well down there - he seems to be getting rave reviews, so it will be interesting to see him in a Middlesbrough shirt."
Whitehead's loss, along with those of Kieran Richardson and Carlos Edwards, has left manager Roy Keane bemoaning his luck.
However, the Irishman, who will celebrate 50 games at the helm this weekend, is confident other men will step to the fore and take their chance with Ian Harte and Andrew Cole pushing for inclusion.
He said: "I cannot underestimate the loss of Carlos and the likes of Dean Whitehead.
"If you had asked me at the start of the season the two players you would really want to avoid having injuries, let me tell you, those two players would be near the top."
Keane said the loss of winger Carlos Edwards was "massive", following the arrival of big centre forward Kenwyne Jones, from Southampton.
The Sunderland manager added: "He is a big loss to us, just like Dean and the other lads, but it's a case of other players coming in and getting a chance and adapting to us."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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