Sunderland defender John O'Shea is expected to go up against Liverpool when the Reds travel to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
The former Manchester United player was a doubt for the clash after the 30-year-old suffered a fractured hand during the Black Cats' 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at the weekend.
"John O'Shea got a hand injury at Newcastle. It's a small bone in his hand which has fractured," manager Martin O'Neill told the Sunderland Echo.
"But he wants to play on Saturday, so we will splint it up for a few weeks. He could hardly hold anything after the game. He doesn't even remember how it happened.
"I was really worried about him. He went down to a place at Wigan on Monday, but the news was good."
Meanwhile, Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson are expected to be fit for the Premier League match.
