January signing Patrick Roberts was handed his first start for Sunderland, as Alex Neil made three changes to the side that drew at Charlton at the weekend. Ex-Manchester City man Roberts came into the side in place of Lynden Gooch, who dropped to the bench.
Neil brought in Elliot Embleton to replace Alex Pritchard, who limped off with an ankle injury on Saturday. And the third change saw Jack Clarke included in the starting XI in place of Nathan Broadhead, who made his return at Charlton after a lengthy injury absence but was not included in the matchday squad tonight.
Luke O'Nien was on the teamsheet for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in November and was named on the bench, while Jermain Defoe - who missed the Charlton game with a minor injury - was also amongst the subs. Former Fleetwood midfielder Jay Matete, who joined Sunderland in the January transfer window, started against his former club.
