Arbenit Xhemajli was handed his League One debut as Sunderland boss Alex Neil made two changes to the side that drew against Burton Albion on Wearside in midweek.
Kosovo international defender Xhemajli replaced Callum Doyle in central defence, with Neil having this week warned that Doyle was at risk of burnout after starting almost every game for the Black Cats this season.,
It was only Xhemajli's third appearance for Sunderland since he joined in the summer of 2020, with both his previous outings coming in the EFL Trophy.
