Gordon has played in two derbies since joining Sunderland in August 2007

Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is confident the club's summer signings can cope with the intensity of Saturday's visit of Newcastle United.

Gordon, 25, will figure in his third derby since signing from Hearts in 2007 and is confident the newcomers can handle the pressure of a major derby.

"This is a massive game and the experience they've had I'm sure will help," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"Given the games they've played in I'm sure they'll handle it no problem."

The Edinburgh-born shot-stopper has played in his home city derby and the last two Tyne-Wear derbies, although his record in the latter has yielded just one point from six.

However, Gordon remains excited by the prospect of running out at the Stadium of Light in Saturday's game and believes the Wearsiders are approaching the match in the right frame of mind.

"I'm looking forward to this one and it should be a good game, we played well at the weekend and should take confidence into this one," he said.

"We should have won the first game last year and we had chances to do that but we didn't take them and got caught, and the second we didn't perform and that was bitterly disappointing.

"We don't look back at other games. This is a one off and it's what goes on out there, everyone will be giving everything they've got to win the game and we're hoping it's us who come out on top this time."

Sunderland welcomed eight new signings to the Stadium of Light during the summer.

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Added to that were strikers David Healy, El-Hadji Diouf and Djibril Cisse from Fulham, Bolton Wanderers and Marseille (on loan) respectively.

Goalkeeper Nick Colgan was the final signing, arriving on a free transfer from Championship side Ipswich Town.