Tony Mowbray made two changes against Birmingham City following Sunderland's Easter Monday win at Cardiff City. Patrick Roberts returned to the starting XI in place of Abdoullah Ba, while Edouard Michut replaced Pierre Ekwah in midfield.
Both Ba and Ekwah were included on the bench. Also amongst the subs was Luke O'Nien, who Mowbray explained had missed the trip to South Wales due to the distance involved because his wife was due to give birth imminently.
And on-loan Leeds United frontman Joe Gelhardt was also on the bench for the second game running. Birmingham City boss John Eustace named an unchanged side, sticking with the same starting XI that began their Easter Monday goalless draw at home to Stoke City.
READ MORE: Sunderland vs Birmingham City LIVE: Early team news and build-up from the Stadium of Light
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Today's teams
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Batth, Cirkin, Gooch, Neil, Michut, Clarke, Amad, Roberts, Pritchard
Subs: Bass, Lihadji, Ekwah, Gelhardt, Ba, O'Nien, Anderson
Birmingham City: Ruddy, Colin, Roberts, Long, Trusty, Bacuna, Bielik, Chong, Hall, Khadra, Jutkiewicz
Subs: Etheridge, Dean, Chang, James, Bellingham, Hannibal, Hogan
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