Amad missed out through injury as Tony Mowbray made three changes to the Sunderland side that lost heavily at home last weekend to Stoke City for today's game against Norwich City at Carrow Road. On-loan Manchester United forward Amad was the key player that Mowbray had spoken about - but not named - who limped out of training on Friday, and he was replaced in the starting XI by Abdoullah Ba.
Luke O'Nien came in at left-back to replace Aji Alese, who suffered a thigh injury against Stoke City last weekend that will sideline him for the rest of the season. O'Nien had come off the bench to take Alese's place at half-time against the Potters.
And the third change saw Edouard Michut restored to the side, and he came in for former Norwich midfielder Alex Pritchard, who was presumably also injured as he was not in the squad. Fit-again Lynden Gooch was included on the bench after recovering from the hip flexor injury that has sidelined him since mid-January.
READ MORE: Norwich City vs Sunderland LIVE: Early team news and build-up from Carrow Road
January signing from Everton Joe Anderson and academy graduate Ellis Taylor were also amongst the subs. Norwich boss David Wagner made one change, in his case to the side that started last weekend's 3-2 win at Millwall.
Marcelino Nunez came into the side in place of Jacob Sorensen. Follow all the action on our live blog here.
Today's teams
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, O'Nien, Michut, Neil, Roberts, Ba, Clarke, Gelhardt
Subs: Bass, Lihadji, Bennette, Gooch, Ekwah, Anderson, Taylor
Norwich City: Gunn, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Giannoulis, McLean, Hernandez, Nunez, Sara, Idah, Pukki
Subs: Krul, Omobamidele, Marquinhos, Tzolis, Sorensen, Sargent, Gibbs
READ NEXT:
- Dennis Cirkin's lingering concussion is a worry, admits Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray
- Tony Mowbray sets out what Pierre Ekwah needs to do before he is ready for Sunderland's starting XI
- Lynden Gooch returns to Sunderland squad as Tony Mowbray gives injury update ahead of Norwich trip
- Sunderland hit with Aji Alese worst case scenario as defender's season over
- Norwich boss David Wagner's message to Sunderland ahead of this weekend's Carrow Road trip
