Alex Neil made two changes to the side that started last weekend's draw at AFC Wimbledon.
The Black Cats' new head coach brought Corry Evans and Leon Dajaku into the starting XI for his first home game in charge against MK Dons at the Stadium of Light.
Evans' inclusion meant that Carl Winchester dropped back to right-back, replacing Trai Hume who was named on the bench.
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And Dajaku replaced on-loan Spurs man Jack Clarke, who was also amongst the subs.
Anthony Patterson continued in goal but Thorben Hoffmann was back in the squad after recovering from illness, and he was on the bench.
There was no place in the matchday squad for defender Danny Batth, despite the defender returning to training this week after recovering from an ankle injury.
MK Dons boss Liam Manning made one change from his side's last outing, a goalless draw at home to Ipswich Town last Saturday, with Mo Eisa starting ahead of Theo Corbeanu.
Former Sunderland striker Conor Wickham was on the bench for the Dons.
You can follow the game as it happens in our live blog here, plus get all the post-match analysis and reaction.
Today's teams
Sunderland: Patterson, Winchester, Wright, Doyle, Cirkin, Matete, Evans, Neil, Dajaku, Pritchard, Stewart
Subs: Hoffmann, Embleton, Defoe, Xhemajli, Clarke, Hume, Roberts
MK Dons: Cumming, O'Hora, Darling, Lewington, Watson, McEachran, Coventry, Harvie, Parrott, Eisa, Twine
Subs: Ravizzoli, Smith, Kasumu, Corbeanu, Boateng, Wickham, Hayden
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