HOWARD WILKINSON begged Sunderland fans not to snub their FA Cup campaign last night as club chiefs braced themselves to welcome the lowest gate of the season to the Stadium of Light.

Ten days after just 10,123 watched the first game between Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, another small crowd is expected at this evening's FA Cup third round replay.

Sunderland's tiniest home attendance since moving from Roker Park was 14,388 for the Worthington Cup tie with Walsall in September 1999.

But while that record could stand after ticket prices were slashed, the crowd is almost certain to be lower than the 35,432 that watched the 3-0 defeat to Fulham four months ago.

Wilkinson said: "It's important that the crowd get behind us. The indication is we won't have the biggest crowd for this game."

After putting up the "full house" signs for much of their time at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland have been alarmed this season to see most matches played out in front of thousands of empty seats.

The prospect of Wilkinson fielding a depleted team again tonight, with Kevin Phillips and Tore Andre Flo the most notable absentees, will dissuade some fans from attending the game.

Wilkinson said: "I have a few players carrying injuries and I'll probably rest one or two, so there will be changes."

Phillips and Flo will be omitted with Saturday's important Premiership trip to Everton in mind, with Marcus Stewart and Kevin Kyle starting up front.

Nicolas Medina will get the opportunity to prove Wilkinson was wrong to cast doubt on his Premiership credentials when he makes his full debut this evening.

The £3.5m midfielder has not made a single senior appearance since joining Sunderland almost two years ago.

Sean Thornton, a summer arrival from Tranmere Rovers, will also figure as Wilkinson takes the opportunity to give some of his walking wounded a break.

Paul Thirlwell, who has a hernia problem, will be left out, as will centre-backs Jody Craddock and Phil Babb.

Babb will undergo a scan to determine the extent of the groin injury he picked up against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Craddock suffered a recurrence of his ankle problem at the weekend, but he is expected to recover in time to line up at Goodison.

Kevin Kilbane will not resume training until tomorrow after his calf injury took longer than expected to heal.

However, captain Michael Gray has shaken off his hamstring injury and could link up down the Sunderland left flank with Julio Arca, who should make his first start under Wilkinson.

The Sunderland manager believes the Worthington Cup exit to Sheffield United was a blessing in disguise as they try to defy a lengthy casualty list.

He said: "If we'd had a Worthington Cup semi-final last week and next week, plus this replay and the League games, I honestly don't know how we would have got through the next couple of weeks."

Sunderland (from): Sorensen, Macho, Williams, McCartney, Gray, Bjorklund, McCann, Proctor, Oster, Arca, Medina, Thornton, Phillips, Flo, Stewart, Kyle.

* Bolton are likely to field former Bishop Auckland defender Jeff Smith on the left wing after he impressed in the draw at the Reebok Stadium.

* Dene Shields yesterday rejoined Raith Rovers from Sunderland on a free transfer, two years after leaving the Scottish Second Division club for £60,000. Sunderland will receive 50 per cent of the fee of any future sale of the 20-year-old.

* Sunderland defender Stanislav Varga is a target Norwegian side Brann Bergen. ''We have checked some references in England. The feedback indicates that he is a player who will strengthen our team,'' Brann's sports director Per-Ove Ludvigsen said.

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