Tony Mowbray will be forced into at least two changes when Sunderland take on Huddersfield Town on Wearside tomorrow, with one of his first-teamers sitting out training today with a minor injury. The Black Cats boss already knew he would have to make one change with defender Dennis Cirkin due to serve a one-match suspension after his red card in Saturday's win against Birmingham at the Stadium of Light, and Luke O'Nien is expected to replace him.
But Mowbray said this lunchtime that another, unnamed, player had picked up an injury in the Birmingham game and is set to miss out against Neil Warnock's relegation-threatened Terriers as Sunderland look to bolster their play-off challenge. "We've picked up another injury from the weekend," said Mowbray, "I don't really want to say who it is because Neil [Warnock] sometimes likes to get his men to mark certain men so you'll see when the teamsheet goes in.
"But we are one more down from the weekend. It's not a bad injury, though, I think and he might just miss out on this game - fingers crossed."
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Mowbray had said in the immediate aftermath of the win against Birmingham that he might not have started Cirkin against Huddersfield in any case, as the defender had started back-to-back games after a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he recovered from concussion. He said: "These are conversations you have with footballers after the games, really - 'how are you feeling?'
"Dennis had played back-to-back games after being out for a good number of weeks, and I might have said to him that I was thinking of playing a different way and putting him on the bench. But that decision has been taken out of my hands because he's not eligible.
"He might not have played anyway - I'm not saying it would have been, because sometimes when you win there is a temptation to keep the defensive unit intact. That's why we left Luke O'Nien out against Birmingham, because the defensive unit at Cardiff was really strong."
O'Nien was originally left behind in the North East while the rest of the squad made the long trip to Cardiff a week ago because his wife was due to give birth imminently. So far, the O'Niens are still waiting and Mowbray has spoken to the defender about the situation in the run-up to tomorrow's game.
He said: "Luke and his wife are still waiting. I've just had that conversation with him.
"We have to be respectful of the situation, but hopefully everything is going to be fine, he's going to turn up and play tomorrow, and then everything will go smoothly for him and his family when the big day arrives. I'm just hoping the big day is not tomorrow!"
Sunderland's back-to-back wins against Cardiff and Birmingham have lifted the Black Cats to ninth in the table and cut the gap between themselves and the play-off spots to just two points with four games of the season remaining. They are now bidding to win a third successive game for the first time this season.
"They're all in good spirits," said Mowbray. "We have had back-to-back wins, but I always feel it is difficult to win three in a row in the Championship although we have a great opportunity to do that against Huddersfield, albeit they are on a decent run despite losing against Swansea at the weekend."
READ MORE:
- Trai Hume on his first Sunderland goal, and the Black Cats' play-off push
- Tony Mowbray addresses Amad's future and how he could return to Sunderland next season
- Sunderland's Birmingham win keeps play-off hopes alive - and Tony Mowbray treading a fine line
- Tony Mowbray explains why Dennis Cirkin's upcoming suspension has come at the right time
- Tony Mowbray sets Sunderland last-day target after Birmingham win keeps them in the play-off hunt
