Ray Parlour's on the mend after the ankle injury he suffered against Derby, according to Soccernet. Parlour may be included in the team against Sunderland on Saturday, while Fredrik Ljungberg may be part of the squad. The Swede has recovered sooner than expected after suffering a knee injury against Leicester.

Marc Overmars, however, won't be available for the game at the Stadium of Light. There's also a slight doubt about stand-in captain Nigel Winterburn.

Meanwhile, David Seaman plans to return to the Arsenal side in the August 22 game against Manchester United! This means that the Arsenal keeper will also be available for England selection in the two Euro qualifiers in early September.

Captain Tony Adams has pencilled in the game at Anfield against Liverpool on August 28 as his return after a hernia operation.