Sunderland extended their unbeaten streak to 12 matches with a 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers last weekend.
Sunderland made it 12 games unbeaten with a 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers at the Stadium of Light last weekend, but it took a late goal from talisman Josh Maja to save Jack Ross’ side the embarrassment of a shock loss.
The Wearside team put on their worst performance of the season so far, and Ross was arguably partly to blame after the Scot played somewhat of a disjointed side.
The former Premier League regulars travel to the Bescot Stadium to play Walsall for the first time since 2004 this weekend and the game is an important one – and Ross will have to learn from last weekend’s mistakes.
The likely candidate to be the first name on the team-sheet this weekend will be 19-year-old Josh Maja, who took his tally to 12 goals for the season and saved his side from a potential disastrous defeat against Wycombe.
As well as Maja, goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin and the four defenders of Adam Matthews, Reece James, Jack Baldwin and Tom Flanagan will keep their place after rarely putting a foot wrong last weekend or all season.
Surprisingly, some of the stand-out players from the season so far failed to reach their impressive standard last weekend – with Chris Maguire and Aiden McGeady both having put in poor displays.
Two players who we predict to be dropped to the bench on Saturday will be striker Jerome Sinclair – who has continued to struggle for form – and winger Lynden Gooch, who looked exhausted early on and could be suffering from burnout.
Both Max Power and Maja will be the players who come in for Watford loanee Sinclair and academy graduate Gooch – with Power in particular having impressed the home faithful when brought on nine minutes after the interval.
Below is how we predict Sunderland to lineup against Walsall at the Bescot Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with two changes to the side that drew with Wycombe.
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