Striker Craig Bellamy is set to play a part for Cardiff in Sunday's Barclays Premier League basement battle against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The 34-year-old, who has been sidelined due to a virus, is poised for a role in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad as Cardiff look to build on collecting four points in their last two games against Southampton and Stoke.
Winger Craig Noone (abdominal injury) is the solitary confirmed non-starter, with Solskjaer reporting no fresh injury concerns following the Stoke clash six days ago.
Midfielder Liam Bridcutt returns to the Sunderland squad.
The 24-year-old has missed the last three games for personal reasons but is available once again, as is full-back Phil Bardsley after serving a two-match ban, with the Black Cats attempting to build upon last weekend's shock 2-1 victory at Chelsea.
However, defender Carlos Cuellar will not be risked as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, while midfielder Ki Sung-yueng (knee) also remains on the sidelines along with keeper Keiren Westwood (shoulder) and striker Steven Fletcher (ankle).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
"We won't go into the game worrying about what everyone else thinks,” Solskjaer said. “We're going to go there and get the job done.
"In a normal season one team would be adrift at the bottom but it's different this year, it's tight at the top and bottom. People talk about Sunderland being in good form but we're also shaping up well for this game."
Gus Poyet
“When a team loses six or seven games in a row, it is going to win one eventually.
“Or the opposite way around - when a team wins four or five in a row, it is due to lose.
“I remember Everton going on a great run and winning six in a row - then they lost to Crystal Palace! Thank you very much!
“Take a look at Jose Mourinho’s home record at Chelsea - incredible - 77 games unbeaten, but it couldn’t last forever and they lost to the team bottom of the table.
“We are the same here at Sunderland - how many chances have we had this season where we got ourselves into a good position and had every chance of pushing on?
“We had Norwich City away, we had Aston Villa at home, we had Hull City at home.
“We lost all three”
“So we have to take this chance - it’s long overdue - and like everything else in football, things eventually turn around. Why not now?”
Match Appointments
Referee: Phil Dowd. Assistants: S Ledger, M Wilkes. Fourth Official: A Taylor.
Head-to-head
- Sunderland and Cardiff have only met seven times in the last 11 years, including twice in a 2003-04 First Division campaign which saw the Black Cats lose in the play-off semi-finals and the Bluebirds finish mid-table.
- This is their first top-flight meeting in the north-east since March 1957. Cardiff's last top-flight win at Sunderland came in December 1927.
Sunderland
- Sunderland's 2-1 victory over title-chasing Chelsea last Saturday was their first league win in 10 league matches since beating Newcastle 3-0 on 1 February.
- They have taken only eight points from 15 games against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, 10 fewer than any other side. They have scored just one goal in six home games against the teams currently in the bottom half.
- Sunderland have kept only one clean sheet in their last 15 top-flight fixtures.
- Six of Sunderland's seven league wins this season have come against top-half opposition.
- Connor Wickham has started five of Sunderland's six league games since being recalled from a loan spell at Leeds United. The 20-year-old has scored three goals in his last two games, having scored just once in his first 37 Premier League appearances.
- Winger Adam Johnson is Gus Poyet's top scorer this campaign, but he has netted only once in 10 league matches.
- Midfielder Lee Cattermole will make his 100th league appearance for the Black Cats if selected.
Cardiff City
- Cardiff have gone unbeaten in consecutive league games for the first time since early November. Only once, back in September, have they managed three games in a row undefeated.
- The Bluebirds have conceded 15 goals in their last six games - an average of 2.50 goals per fixture.
- Only Norwich City (eight) have taken fewer away points this season than Cardiff City (10).
- Peter Whittingham's successfully converted penalty against Stoke on Saturday was Cardiff's first of the campaign. They also conceded their first spot-kick of the season in the same fixture.
- In four seasons as a Sunderland striker, Fraizer Campbell scored six league goals - as many as he has managed this season.