BBC Sport - Cardiff City v Sunderland Cardiff midfielder Gary Medel is hopeful of returning to the side after sitting out the Boxing Day defeat by Southampton with flu. Craig Bellamy misses out because of a knee injury, but there are no new injury concerns. Sunderland boss Gus Poyet is without the suspended Wes Brown, while fellow defender John O'Shea could again be absent with a shoulder injury. Keiren Westwood and Carlos Cuellar remain on the sidelines. So, after months of undermining and destabilising his manager, Cardiff City's owner Vincent Tan has finally made the move to sack Malky Mackay. We had been waiting for Cardiff owner Vincent Tan to make a decision and now he has made it. Malky Mackay has gone. Now we have to wait and see what Tan does next. In my original preview of this match I openly wondered how much longer their non-existent relationship could go on for. I did think Mackay was still going to be the one I was interviewing after this particular match, but long term there seemed only one outcome. I think someone's going to have a decent manager very soon, and I'm not talking about Cardiff. Having taken them to the League Cup final in 2012 and promotion earlier this year, Mackay is likely to be a man in demand and won't be twiddling his thumbs for long. That's not to say all was well on the pitch. The fans protested against Tan before the kick off on Boxing Day, but Thursday's defeat was their fifth in the last eight matches. Southampton cut Cardiff's defence to shreds in the opening half an hour and the owner clearly didn't take kindly to seeing his club three goals down by half time for the second time inside a week. It isn't just the goals they're conceding that are the problem - Cardiff are finding scoring at the other end particularly tricky at the moment. Things aren't about to get any easier at the start of the new year either, with three of the next four matches away to Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. It puts a premium on getting something from this one against Sunderland and the visit of West Ham on 14 January. It also adds to the urgency of getting a good replacement in quickly, though it sounds as though feelers have already been put out. Sunderland will travel to South Wales with an extra spring in their step following an unexpected three points at Everton on Boxing Day. Gus Poyet acknowledged Tim Howard's red card changed the game and the performance of his own goalkeeper Vito Mannone probably won it for them, but he'll take the points however they come. The victory brings them right back up on everyone else's coat tails and there are now eight teams separated by just six points at the bottom. It looks like it isn't just the title race that promises to be exciting and nerve-shredding this season. 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. 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 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).