Sunderland host Aston Villa in the Championship this evening.
Sunderland starting XI: Steele; Love, Browning, O’Shea, Kone, Oviedo; McManaman, Cattermole, Ejaria, McGeady; Fletcher.
Sunderland substitutes XI: Camp, Jones, Williams, LuaLua, Maja, Honeyman, Asoro.
Aston Villa starting XI: Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Taylor; Snodgrass, Hourihane, Whelan, Adomah; Hogan, Grabban.
Aston Villa substitutes: Bunn, Jedinak, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Onomah, Grealish, Davis.
Sunderland’s quest for Championship survival continues this evening, as they host Aston Villa in a crucial encounter at the Stadium of Light this evening.
The Black Cats, who sit at the bottom of the Championship table, drew 1-1 with Millwall on Saturday and need to start picking up wins given that they lie four points adrift of safety.
Jason Steele starts in goal, with a back five of Donald Love, Tyias Browning, John O’Shea, Lamine Kone and Bryan Oviedo in front of the often-criticised shot-stopper.
Liverpool loanee Ovie Ejaria starts in midfield alongside Lee Cattermole, with Callum McManaman and Aiden McGeady featuring either side of striker Ashley Fletcher.
Kazenga LuaLua is only on the Sunderland bench, alongside Lee Camp, Billy Jones, Jonny Williams, Josh Maja, George Honeyman and Joel Asoro.
Meanwhile, Villa’s promotion bid continues tonight, and they line up with ex-Sunderland man Ahmed Elmohamady, James Chester, John Terry and Neil Taylor in front of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
Conor Hourihane and Glenn Whelan start in midfield, with Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah out wide, supporting Scott Hogan and recent Sunderland loanee Lewis Grabban in the final third.
Jack Grealish is therefore named on the Villa bench, alongside Mark Bunn, Mile Jedinak, Birkir Bjarnason, Henri Lansbury, Joshua Onomah and Keinan Davis.
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