Lee Johnson made one change to the side that started last weekend's win against Portsmouth on Wearside.
The Sunderland boss brought Carl Winchester back into the starting line-up, with Tom Flanagan making way.
That meant a switch to a back four, with Danny Batth partnering Callum Doyle at the heart of defence, Winchester at right-back, and Dennis Cirkin at left-back.
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Flanagan was included on the bench, along with Johnson's new signings Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke.
And Alex Pritchard was passed fit to be named amongst the subs after missing the Pompey game with a calf injury.
Bolton manager Ian Evatt also made one change, in his case to the side that started last weekend's win at Shrewsbury Town.
Dapu Afolayan came into the side in place of Amadou Bakayoko.
Their new signing winger Kieran Sadlier, who joined from Rotherham this week, was included on the bench.
Also on the bench was former Sunderland academy goalkeeper Joel Dixon.
You can follow today's game as it happens in our live match blog here.
Today's teams
Sunderland: Hoffmann, Winchester, Batth, Doyle, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Dajaku, Embleton, Gooch, Stewart
Subs: Patterson, Flanagan, O'Brien, Pritchard, Clarke, Hume, Roberts
Bolton Wanderers: Trafford, Jones, Santon, Johnston, Fossey, Williams, Morley, John, Lee, Charles, Afolayan
Subs: Dixon, Bodvarsson, Bakayoko, Aimson, Sadlier, Thomason, Baptiste
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