Former Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth manager Paul Cook believes there will be 'two heavyweights' colliding at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland host Ipswich Town in League One showdown

Cook brings his Ipswich side to Wearside looking to add to Lee Johnson’s misery by inflicting a fourth straight defeat on the Black Cats.

The pressure will undoubtedly continue to grow on Johnson should his side fail to arrest an alarming run of form prior to the international break which has seen the Wearsiders fall out of the League One play-off places.

In contrast, Cook’s Tractor Boys have found some form in recent weeks after a difficult start to the season following a summer of transition at Portman Road.

Ipswich are just four points behind the Black Cats and Cook, 54, is relishing the trip to the Stadium of Light.

“We’re looking forward to the game, it’s a fixture that you really do look forward to.

“We can all go on about the fixtures being just another game, which they are, but the reality of it is we’re going to have two heavyweights meeting each other on Saturday in a fantastic football game and we’re all excited by it.

“We know the cliches can go out that it’s only three points, which is valid, but it’s still a great game isn’t it?

“Tomorrow you’ll see a lot of good players on the pitch both in red and white and in our blue colours. It’s an exciting game, it's a great game, it’s one we really do look forward to so let's go up there with great optimism.”

But while Cook is looking forward to the challenge of taking on Sunderland, the former Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth manager is anticipating a difficult fixture when asked about the threats posed by Johnson’s Black Cats.

“A lot,” Cook declared.

“They’ve got some very good players. Lee is a very experienced manager, he’s got good staff, they’re a great club and they’ve got fantastic players so the problems will be there for us from 3 o’clock until quarter-to-five.

“But we hope we’ll cause Sunderland a lot of problems similar to the problems they'll cause us. There’ll be two teams on the pitch trying to win the game tomorrow, that's for sure.”

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