Sunderland will once again be looking to put their league form behind them when they face Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Black Cats' only victory in their last six outings came in the 1-0 win over Leeds United in the third round earlier this month, and once again they face Championship opposition this weekend.

They sit just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League, but will still be heavy favourites against Fulham, with 18 places separating them in the English football ladder.

Gus Poyet will need to pick his side up following a last-gasp defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, however, with Christian Eriksen sealing a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane with an 88th-minute winner.

New signing Jermain Defoe failed to score in that match, but he could start up front once again as Poyet looks to get him acquainted with the team's style.

Several key players are expected to miss out, however, with Lee Cattermole, Adam Johnson and Wes Brown all struggling with injuries and unlikely to be risked.

The returning Liam Bridcutt could come into the side, while there may also be a change between the sticks, with Vito Mannone replacing Costel Pantilimon.

Sunderland, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals of this competition last season, have won their last four FA Cup home games, including the last three all by a 1-0 scoreline.

Fulham, meanwhile, won at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League last season but have struggled to adapt to life in the second tier since their relegation.

They currently sit 14th in the Championship table, although back-to-back victories have moved them closer to the playoffs than they are to the bottom three.

The most recent of those came on Wednesday as Ross McCormack hit a hat-trick to put his side into a commanding lead over Nottingham Forest after just 35 minutes. Forest fought back, but couldn't completely reduce the deficit as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat.

McCormack was also the hero in the last round as he scored a 120th-minute equaliser to force penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Fulham eventually winning the shootout 5-3.

They were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season after a replay against Sheffield United and have not won an away FA Cup game inside 90 minutes for five years.

Manager Kit Symons has insisted that his side are "happy" with the tag of underdogs, even calling the match a "bonus game", but he is likely to name a strong side in an attempt to pull off an upset.

That could mean McCormack remains in the side, while Lasse Vigen Christensen is also in contention having missed the last four games with a hamstring injury.

Scott Parker is a doubt with an ankle injury, however, while Tim Hoogland and Fernando Amorebieta remain long-term absentees.

Sunderland:

Form in FA Cup: W
Form in all competitions: LDLWLL

Possible starting lineup: Mannone; Vergini, O'Shea, Coates; Buckley, Larsson, Bridcutt, Van Aanholt; Wickham, Graham, Defoe

Fulham:

Form in FA Cup: DW
Form in all competitions: LDLWWW

Possible starting lineup: Bettinelli; Grimmer, Hutchinson, Bodurov, Stafylidis; Tunnicliffe, Ruiz, Fofana, Kacaniklic; McCormack, Woodrow

Sports Mole says: 2-1