Stoke City 1 - 0 Sunderland

Stoke v Sunderland: Preview

Updated: October 29, 2008, 9:47 AM UK

The summer signing from Reading missed Sunday's defeat at Manchester City with a groin injury and Stoke boss Tony Pulis will make a late decision on his fitness. Ryan Shawcross will continue in the side should Sonko not make it.

Striker Dave Kitson, demoted to the bench at Eastlands, is likely to be a substitute once more as Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe continue their partnership in attack.

Pulis is still searching for stability at centre-half after seeing the heart of his Stoke defence consistently disrupted this season.

In nine Barclays Premier League games, Pulis has started with five different partnerships at the heart of Stoke's back four.

The same combination has been in place for no more than two successive matches, while injuries in two of Sonko's three starts forced changes during the games against Liverpool and Tottenham. Leon Cort and Shawcross were his respective replacements.

Pulis said: "We've got Sonko in, then he's out, then he's back in again. We seem to mend him and then he gets broken again, so we will have to see how he is.''

Stoke have conceded in all but one of their Premier League games and Pulis insists a clean sheet is a must if his side are to string a run of results together.

"You just want a back four that keeps clean sheets,'' said Pulis. "But we haven't had two centre-halves bedded in and that has been a problem for us.

"It is just about getting the balance of people who can play together but it is difficult getting the stability you need if you are chopping and changing all of the time.

"But the bottom line is we have to start getting some clean sheets, while still creating the chances we are creating.

"Nearly all the statistics were in our favour at Manchester City on Sunday but the most important stat was their three goals.

"We created more chances there than at Liverpool but the big difference was the fact we kept a clean sheet at Anfield and got the point.''

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has only a 50-50 chance of returning to action at Stoke.

The Scotland international twisted an ankle in training last Wednesday and was replaced by Marton Fulop for Saturday's derby win over Newcastle, and the Hungarian is standing by to continue at the Britannia Stadium.

Striker Kenwyne Jones has suffered no reaction to his appearance as a substitute at the weekend after four months out with a knee ligament injury, with manager Roy Keane reporting no new fitness concerns.

Keane has warned any player still revelling in Saturday's derby win he can stay at home with his wife rather than heading for Stoke.

The Irishman barely allowed himself a celebration in the wake of the 2-1 win over arch-rivals Newcastle which ended a 28-year wait on Wearside.

His players were understandably in party mood, along with the club's fans, after Kieran Richardson condemned the Magpies to their first defeat in enemy territory since 1980.

But Keane has told them that is now history and if they are not fully focused on Wednesday's trip to the Britannia Stadium, they will be left behind.

He said: "I never had a problem with that, never. I found that one of the easiest things as a footballer.

"I have said before, I used to move on within maybe 50 seconds of the end of games, which is sad, really, because sometimes you have got to enjoy a result.

"But I never tended to do that, and that's why this morning is a very important training session for us.

"We have got 21, 22 players available to me tomorrow night, and if I think for one minute any of them are still living in Saturday, then they can be tucked up with their wives tonight, they won't be on the bus with us.''

The derby win is being viewed as a watershed on Wearside as Keane's revolution continues apace.

But while the manager is confident progress is being made, he is refusing to be carried away.

He said: "That's what we want to achieve, certainly to be more consistent. The best run we had last year would be maybe three or four games unbeaten.

"I have been fairly pleased with the progress we have made over the last few weeks. There were good signs against Arsenal, the Fulham game and the other day.

"But we see these other teams, they can go on runs of eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 games, not necessarily the big boys, but other teams, the (Aston) Villas of this world and the Man Cities and the Blackburns.

"They have shown, particularly last year, that you can go on a decent run.

"A decent run can sometimes just be nicking draws here and there. That's the progress you want to be achieving at your football club, consistency, and we have not managed to do that.''