Fulham need a win badly after six games without one, a spell that has produced just three points from a possible 18.
It is their worst run since January while another failure would represent their worst run since February 2008 - when they went 12 without a win.
However, 10 of their 15 points have come at Craven Cottage, as have 10 of their 16 goals.
Fulham, who need one goal for 400 in the Premier League, still miss Rafik Halliche, Moussa Dembele, Carlos Salcido, Fredrik Stoor, Bobby Zamora and Philippe Senderos while Andrew Johnson undergoes a test.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce finally ended his six-year wait for a Premier League win in London, at Chelsea, and he could be unchanged after the 1-0 victory over West Ham.
Sunderland have had only five different goalscorers this season while Titus Bramble, Fraizer Campbell, Trevor Carson and Michael Turner are all missing.
There have been just two goals scored in the last four Premier League matches between Fulham and Sunderland.
Fulham have won just one of their last six Premier League home matches.
Sunderland have won just two of their last 26 Premier League away games but their last victory came away in west London against Chelsea.
Fulham have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches.
Fulham have scored 399 goals in the Premier League.
No player has attempted more shots without hitting the target in the Premier League this season than Sunderland's Ahmed Al-Muhammadi (14).
Sunderland have scored a higher proportion of goals through their strikers this season than any other side (80%) while only 22% of the goals that they have conceded have come from an opposing striker; a Premier League low.
17 of the 32 games played by either Sunderland or Fulham in the Premier League this season have ended in a draw.
Should this game end in a draw, Fulham would equal the record for most draws by a Premier League side after 17 games of the season (10).
Fulham have conceded more goals to African players than any other Premier League side this season (6).
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