A massive bottom of the table clash at CCS on Saturday evening and it's live on Sky (ko 5:30pm).
Cardiff have given assistant manager David Kerslake and first team coach Joe McBride the responsibility of selecting the team after Malky Mackay was sacked on Friday afternoon.
Sunderland's shock win at Everton on Boxing Day has given the Black Cats a real belief that they can get out of the relagation places and a win at Cardiff coupled with other results could see them up to 17th place later today.
For Cardiff this is one game that will have been tagged as a must win home game. Victory would take Cardiff to 20 points at the half way point of the season.
Kerslake and McBride know their tenure is likely to be short. They will have to decide if they follow Mackay's tactics or maybe make some big decisions and go for it against a Sunderland side that have been written off as relegatin fodder for most of the season.
Early team news
Gary Medel missed the defeat to Southampton due to flu but could be fit enough to feature against the Black Cats, while Andreas Cornelius and Declan John could start after coming off the bench on Boxing Day.
But Craig Bellamy will miss out again due to his ongoing knee injury.
Sunderland will again be without Wes Brown, while it remains to be seen whether or not his fellow defender John O'Shea is able to feature.
The pair missed the 1-0 Boxing Day win at Everton, with Brown starting a three-match suspension and O'Shea having been nursing a shoulder problem.
Definitely still ruled out through injury are goalkeeper Keiren Westwood (shoulder) and yet another defender, Carlos Cuellar (hip).
The managers:
Malky Mackay's sacking took centre stage on Friday so there was no formal Cardiff City pre match press conference.
Gus Poyet
The Sunderland boss hopes to keep his sides recent good form going.
"People keep forgetting we are unbeaten in four games - we're playing well," Poyet told the Sunderland website (www.safc.com) on Friday.
"It's up to us to keep that belief going."
Sunderland shocked Everton on Boxing Day by winning 1 - 0 at Goodision Park.
"The whole squad has to pull together - two games in three days is tough," added Poyet, following their win at Goodison, courtesy of a first-half penalty by Ki Sung-Yueng.
"We have quality players to call upon like Jozy Altidore and Adam Johnson who were on the bench, but we face a difficult match.
"They are fighting for their lives, but we need to make sure we're ready and perform to the best of our ability. We need to make it difficult for them on Saturday."
Match Appointments
Referee: Chris Foy. Assistants: P Kirkup, M Wilkes. Fourth Official: L Mason.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This is the first top-flight meeting between the clubs since the 1956-57 season.
- They last met in the Championship in the 2006-07 season. Both sides enjoyed away victories.
Cardiff
- The Bluebirds have managed one win and five points from their last eight games.
- They have taken seven points from the last 15 available at home.
- Cardiff have scored just five goals in their last 10 Premier League games.
- They have scored only eight goals in nine home league matches this season.
Sunderland
- Sunderland won their first away game this season against Everton on Boxing Day. In 2013, they have won just three of 18 away league matches (W3, D3, L12).
- They have been given more red cards in Premier League games than any other side this season (five).
- The Black Cats have won only one of their 12 final games of the year in the Premier League (3-1 v Bolton in 2007).
Teams:
Cardiff (from): Marshall, Connolly, Taylor, Caulker, Hudson, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Cornelius, Campbell, Odemwingie, Brayford, Kim, Smith, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, Maynard, Theophile-Catherine, Lewis, John.
Sunderland (from): Mannone, Pickford, Celustka, Dossena, Bardsley, O'Shea, Diakite, Roberge, Cattermole, Cabral, Gardner, Ki, Giaccherini, Johnson, Larsson, Ba, Karlsson, Mavrias, Colback, Fletcher, Altidore, Borini.