Ross Stewart picked up an injury in the warm-up at the Riverside Stadium, forcing Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray into a late change. Patrick Roberts was promoted from the bench to fill the void left by the Black Cats' five-goal top scorer, with Leon Dajaku replacing him amongst the subs.
That was the only change to the side that began Mowbray's first game in charge, which saw the new head coach oversee a 3-0 win against Rotherham United at the Stadium of Light last Wednesday. But it was a massive blow to Sunderland, with Stewart the club's 26-goal top scorer last term and having started the current campaign as a man in-form.
It meant that Ellis Simms was left to lead the line, supported by Roberts and Alex Pritchard in behind. Jack Clarke, who scored against Rotherham and also contributed both assists for Stewart's goals, again played wide on the left.
