Sunderland will be looking to recover from the disappointment of that draw to Plymouth Argyle by beating their bitter North East rivals, Middlesbrough, on Monday night.
Despite being massive favourites to secure an easy three points at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, Sunderland failed to get the better of bottom of the league Plymouth and had to settle for a share of the points in a 2-2 draw.
Luckily, results at the top of the table were just as fruitless for the other three promotion contenders, so Regis Le Bris’ side remain right in the hunt for the title thanks to their ‘lucky’ point against Plymouth.
But, they’ll need to be at the top of their game when they travel to the Riverside on Monday night to face Middlesbrough, and there are two players in particular the Black Cats will need to watch.
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Ryan Giles and Morgan Whittaker can make a big impact on Monday night
While Sunderland’s confirmed signings list this month is populated by Enzo Le Fee alone, Middlesbrough completed a double swoop last week to bring in both Ryan Giles on loan from Hull City, and the big-money signing of Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth.
Both players will be chomping at the bit to get a first start for their new club under their belts — Giles came off the bench at the weekend against Preston — and that kind of energy is something Sunderland must be very wary of.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 29 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 53 | 19 | 34 | 60 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 29 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 40 | 21 | 19 | 58 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 29 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 36 | 9 | 27 | 57 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 29 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 42 | 24 | 18 | 55 |
| 5 |  West BromWest Brom | 29 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 44 |
| 6 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 29 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 47 | 36 | 11 | 44 |
With Middlesbrough chasing down the leading pack and looking to secure a play-off spot themselves, this North East derby will be a feisty affair to say the least. Throw in that extra motivation for Giles and Whittaker, looking to impress in front of the home crowd, and the Black Cats could be in trouble.
Giles is a highly-creative wing-back who will relish being able to feed someone like Whittaker, who has already shown how dangerous he can be in front of goal this season with four goals to his name.
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Sunderland should expect Morgan Whittaker to lead the line for Boro
Given the nature of Whittaker’s exit from Plymouth, where the 24-year-old was called out for apparently refusing to play, we know the ‘Boro new boy will have a lot to prove against Sunderland.
While the Sunderland squad is full of competent defenders who can combat someone like Whittaker, they may have to adapt slightly as the attacker may well be forced to shift from his usual right-wing slot into a more central position in the forward line.
With Tommy Conway not expected to be fit, Emmanuel Latte Lath injured on Saturday, and Delano Burgzorg simply not good enough, Michael Carrick is without a natural striker to lead the attack on Monday night.
That could make for a difficult debut for Whittaker, but it’s a role he has filled fairly successfully in the past, and the surprise element of it will certainly keep the likes of Chris Mepham and Luke O’Nien on their toes.