In a week in which Cheltenham has occupied the back pages Chelsea will be desperate not to end the season as also-rans, with a trip to Wearside to face Sunderland the type of obstacle that needs to be hurdled with minimum fuss.

FA Cup elimination to Barnsley saw Chelsea cast as more donkey than thoroughbred but on Wednesday Avram Grant trained his mount to perfection, as Chelsea routed a doomed Derby to the tune of 6-1.

While Derby are destined for a trip to the glue factory that is the Championship, Sunderland's home form could yet prove enough for them to retain their Premier League status.

A combination of Roy Keane's silent snarl and a partisan crowd has seen those in red and white take maximum home spoils on seven occasions this term and should they make it eight on Saturday, the cosy haven of midtable mediocrity that is 12th could beckon.

Lose and the relegation trap door could eke open before snaffling in its jaws the Wearside warriors that suffer more travel sickness than a hybrid of Mr T and Dennis Bergkamp.

Mr T

Chelsea's sights are trained significantly higher as they continue to go quietly about their business, in moving to within five points of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

Doubts have been cast as to whether Chelsea and Grant have the flair, chutzpah and invention to usurp the top two but while the Israeli tactician remains straighter than Sid Little, his team have shown they can eke out results.

Much has been made of what could blossom if Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka hit it off but at the moment Grant is playing the role of concerned parent, as he allows his charges to hook up only briefly - and rarely at the weekends.

Anelka got the nod against Derby but it could be the Ivorian that is preferred in the North East. Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack have proved in the past month or so that they are not too similar to strike up a dominant central midfield partnership - with the former's four goals in midweek testimony to the German's acceptance that he is no longer required to break from deep as in his Bayern days.

Cudicini starts

Grant is unlikely to make wholesale changes to the side which demolished Derby, as Carlo Cudicini continues in goal in Petr Cech's absence, while Michael Essien is hopeful of edging out Claude Makelele in Blues' engine room.

Sunderland's last outing saw them fall to Everton but they were far from disgraced and Keane could elect to select a similar side.

His options look likely to be boosted by the return of Carlos Edwards, who played 60 minutes for the reserves in midweek following his recovery from a broken leg.

Keane will not, though, be able to call on midfielder Dickson Etuhu as he has a knee problem or Anthony Stokes, who has not trained all week because of a virus.