Sunderland defender Carlos Cuellar believes that the Tyne-Wear derby between the Black Cats and Newcastle United is the "biggest" rivalry of them all.

The 31-year-old will experience his first derby since moving to the Stadium of Light from Aston Villa in the summer.

"I was a Real Madrid fan and used to get so excited watching the El Clasico games against Barcelona," the Daily Star quotes Cuellar as saying.

"Then when I joined Rangers, the Old Firm derbies were amazing, some of the best games I've ever played in my life. But since joining Sunderland, fans have been telling me this is more important, the biggest of all."

Meanwhile, full-back Danny Rose may sit out of the clash if manager Martin O'Neill feels that the loanee is not in the right frame of mind to play following the alleged racial abuse he suffered while featuring for the England Under-21s.