Dennis Cirkin is eager to rejoin Sunderland's first team as he recovers from injury. Last season, Cirkin played 39 Championship games for the Black Cats, starting 33 and contributing to five goals. However,
since the play-off final victory over Sheffield United, he has been sidelined due to wrist and knee injuries.
Cirkin expressed his excitement about returning to action, saying, "It just feels great to be back out there again. " He recently played for Sunderland's Under-21s and described the past few months as frustrating due to setbacks. "To finally get back on the pitch and play proper minutes feels like a big step forward," he added.
Sunderland has made an impressive start in their first Premier League season since 2016-17. They are only three points behind second-place Manchester City as they prepare to face Fulham on Saturday. With 19 points from 11 games (W5 D4 L2), this is their best top-flight start since 1999-00 and the best by a newly promoted team since Hull City in 2008-09.
A win against Fulham would mark the best start after 12 games by a promoted side since Wigan Athletic in 2005-06. Sunderland's recent form includes a notable away victory against Chelsea in October, but they haven't won consecutive away games in London within a single season since March 2001.
For Fulham, Harry Wilson stands out as a key player. He shares the title of joint-leading scorer with Ryan Sessegnon, each having scored two goals this season. Although Wilson hasn't provided any assists yet, he has created eight chances, ranking third in Fulham's squad behind Alex Iwobi and Sasa Lukic.
Sunderland's Granit Xhaka has also been influential. Only Marcos Senesi and Bruno Guimaraes have surpassed his 15 line-breaking passes this season. Xhaka has created five chances from these passes, with only Bruno Fernandes creating more in the league.
Match Prediction
Despite Sunderland's strong form, Opta's supercomputer predicts a Fulham victory. Fulham has lost their last two home games against Sunderland but remains unbeaten in their last ten Premier League matches against newly promoted teams (W5 D5). They have won their last three such encounters consecutively.
Who is ready for the weekend?#FULSUNpic.twitter.com/lBpKuVZuks
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC)November 19, 2025
Fulham has secured most of their points at Craven Cottage this season, with 91% of their total coming from home matches. This is the highest home ratio among all Premier League teams so far this term.
The Opta win probability suggests that Fulham has a 51.6% chance of winning, while a draw is at 24.6%, and Sunderland's chances stand at 23.8%. As both teams prepare for Saturday’s clash, fans can expect an exciting match with plenty of action on the field.
