Sunderland v Birmingham City

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness ahead of their Barclays Premier League clash with Birmingham.

The Trinidad and Tobago international, who limped off at half-time against Manchester City last Sunday, has a chance of being involved after scans revealed no lasting damage to his hip flexor.

Andy Reid and Lee Cattermole (both hamstring) could also make it back into the squad, while the Black Cats will continue to monitor Boudewijn Zenden's knee problem.

Captain Lorik Cana will be missing again as he completes a two-match ban.

Birmingham right-back Stuart Parnaby has shaken off an ankle problem and is available.

Parnaby suffered the setback during the 2-0 win at Portsmouth 10 days ago and was ruled out of the home draw with Everton last weekend but is now back in training.

He is likely to have to be content with a place on the substitutes' bench given the consistent form of captain Stephen Carr.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has no fresh injury concerns as his side look to sustain their surprise push for a Europa League spot, but on-loan Sunderland player Teemu Tainio is ineligible to face his parent club.

Sunderland squad: Gordon, Fulop, Bardsley, Hutton, Turner, Ferdinand, Mensah, Kilgallon, Da Silva, Cattermole, Zenden, Richardson, Malbranque, Henderson, Campbell, Reid, Bent, Jones, Benjani, Meyler, Liddle, Noble.

Birmingham squad: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey, Jerome, Benitez, Taylor, Parnaby, Larsson, McFadden, Michel, Phillips, Murphy, Vignal, Queudrue.