Sunderland turn their attention to the FA Cup this weekend, and the game against Stoke City presents Regis Le Bris a big opportunity to experiment with his team.
The Black Cats are enjoying an incredible season in the Championship and are still right in the title race after 26 games.
But, a number of Sunderland players look like they could do with a rest after a hectic festive period, and Regis Le Bris would be wise to rotate his squad for the upcoming game.
So, who will make the team for Saturday’s clash with Stoke City at the Stadium of Light? We’ve put together an early Sunderland predicted lineup ahead of the game.
Sunderland team and injury news ahead of Stoke City clash
Sunderland have no fresh injury concerns as things stand, with a handful of long-term absentees still missing for Regis Le Bris.
Romaine Mundle, Tommy Watson, Niall Huggins, and Alan Browne will all miss the game. Watson is expected back early February, while Mundle could be back a little sooner than that.
Shorter-term, Sunderland are also likely to be without Chris Rigg and Dan Ballard, though more as a precaution than anything, as the pair are in rehabilitation for their respective injuries.
One player who should be ready for action now, after a very long wait, is Salis Abdul Samed. The midfielder has been out of action all season, but has begun training this month.
Trey Ogunsuyi must finally get his big break at Sunderland this weekend
While we know Le Bris doesn’t want Sunderland to become complacent, we still expect the Sunderland manager will make a number of changes to his team for this weekend’s game, as he looks to give players a rest and try out other options in his squad.
Starting at the back, we predict Leo Hjelde will finally get back in the team after his own injury setbacks, and we could see Sunderland academy prospect, Zak Johnson, get the nod alongside Chris Mepham.
Further up the field, Adil Aouchiche may well switch to the right wing in order to give Patrick Roberts a much-needed break, while Jewison Bennette must surely be handed an opportunity to show what he can do on the left.
If Samed is fit enough, he could make his Sunderland debut in the middle of the park, and his introduction could give Dan Neil freedom to roam in more advanced areas.
Finally, there is one youngster Sunderland need to use in the FA Cup, and that is Trey Ogunsuyi. The prolific striker is in red-hot form for the Under-21s, has been on the first-team bench a number of times already this season, and is more than ready to make his mark at senior level.