ELLIOT EMBLETON, Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts all return to Sunderland's starting side for this afternoon's decisive final game at Morecambe.

The trio return to the side as Black Cats boss Alex Neil shuffles his pack, knowing his side need to win today to guarantee a place in the play-offs.

Callum Doyle, Trai Hume and Jay Matete all drop out of the starting side, with Doyle not even featuring in the matchday squad.

With Dennis Cirkin and Carl Winchester both still unavailable, it looks as though Luke O'Nien will be repositioned as part of the back three.

Lynden Gooch and Roberts are expected to fill the wing-back positions, with Pritchard, Embleton and Corry Evans forming the central-midfield three behind strikers Nathan Broadhead and Ross Stewart.

Aiden McGeady is back in the matchday squad for the first time since November, with the Irishman named amongst Sunderland's substitutes.


MORECAMBE (4-3-3): Carson; Cooney, Bennett, Bedeau, Gibson; Fane, Wildig, Phillips; Connolly, Stockton, Gnahoua.

Subs: Smith (gk), O'Connor, Diagouraga, Obika, Ayunga, McLoughlin, McAlmont.

SUNDERLAND (3-5-2): Patterson; Wright, Batth, O'Nien; Gooch, Pritchard, Evans, Embleton, Roberts; Broadhead, Stewart.

Subs: Hoffmann, Xhemajli, Neil, Clarke, Matete, McGeady, Hume.