MICK McCarthy is ready to keep faith with the players that secured Sunderland's return to the big time, in the knowledge that one defeat doesn't mean they lack the experience to cut it in the Premiership.

The Black Cats went down 3-1 in the opening game of the new season to a Charlton side who, despite being tipped as nothing better than also-rans by the pundits, outplayed their opponents in the areas that matter.

Boss McCarthy blooded four new players from the start of the game in strikers Jon Stead and Andy Gray, midfielder Tommy Miller and goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, and also introduced former Gillingham defender Nyron Nosworthy as a second half substitute.

Two players who figured to greater or lesser degrees in the Premiership last season in former Everton defender Alan Stubbs and Liverpool midfielder-cum-striker Anthony Le Tallec were available to the manager but he opted to leave them out of the squad.

In total, McCarthy has brought in ten players during the summer, but he is determined to stand by the ones who finished last season as champions.

"I didn't realise until I looked in the programme, we have a number of players who have Premiership experience, 15 or something," said the Sunderland boss.

"(But) we can't have had it for the last two years because we haven't been in it.

"It's quite difficult to come straight back up and then suddenly have a team of full of experienced Premier League players.

"I have had to get ten in and that still only gives me a squad of 22, 23 including four goalkeepers.

"So to have a squad littered with top quality Premiership experienced players would be unreasonable because the team that came up did brilliantly and they are going to get their chance.

"They deserve their chance because they have earned it."

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