Steve Bruce has had an encouraging start to his new job as Sunderland manager but his team face a side today who are looking for a ninth successive win in all competitions. Manchester United have gone to the top of the table and the portents are not good for Sunderland, given that they have not won at Old Trafford in more than 40 years. Bruce has a terrible record against Sir Alex Ferguson as a manager and Sunderland are likely to miss the combative Lee Cattermole if the midfielder does not recover from a shoulder injury. Daniel Taylor

Venue Old Trafford

Tickets £27-49 (0161 868 8000)

Last season Manchester United 1 Sunderland 0

Referee A Wiley

This season's matches 6 Y19, R1, 3.33 cards per game

sportingbet odds Man Utd 2-11 Sunderland 11-1 Draw 5-1

Manchester United

Subs from Kuszczak, Giggs, Brown, Anderson, Neville, Park, Gibson, Welbeck, Macheda, Tosic, J Evans

Doubtful Park (virus)

Injured Hargreaves (knee, 17 Oct), Owen (groin, 17 Oct) Van der Sar (finger, 17 Oct), Obertan (calf, 25 Oct), Rafael (shoulder, 31 Oct)

Suspended Fábio (one match)

Form guide WWWWWL

Disciplinary record Y12 R1

Leading scorer Rooney 6

Sunderland

Subs from Fulop, Da Silva, Mensah, Nosworthy, McCartney, Henderson, Campbell, Healy, Murphy

Doubtful Cattermole (shoulder), Mensah (calf), Murphy (heel)

Injured None

Suspended None

Form guide WLWLWL

Disciplinary record Y13 R0

Leading scorer Bent 6

Match pointers

• United have won 11 and drawn three of their 14 league meetings with Sunderland since their last defeat in 1997

• Sunderland's last win at Old Trafford was in May 1968

• There was a sending-off in this fixture four times in a row between January 2001 and August 2002 but there have been none in seven subsequent encounters

• Ryan Giggs has provided an assist for all of United's last five league goals

• As a manager Steve Bruce has lost 10 and drawn two of his 12 meetings with former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson