LUKE O'NIEN and Aji Alese return to Sunderland's starting line-up for today's Championship game with Millwall - but there is no place in the squad for Ross Stewart.

Stewart returned to full training this week after a two-and-a-half month injury lay-off, but Tony Mowbray has decided not to risk the striker in today's game.

O'Nien and Alese do both return to the starting side though, with the former expected to line-up at centre-half and the latter set to start at left-back ahead of Dennis Cirkin, who is on the bench.

Lynden Gooch also returns to the starting side, having recovered from the foot injury that was troubling him prior to the start of the World Cup break.

Corry Evans and Dan Neil will play at the heart of midfield, with Amad Diallo, Alex Pritchard and Jack Clarke supporting central striker Ellis Simms.


SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Gooch, O'Nien, Batth, Alese; Evans, Neil; Diallo, Pritchard, Clarke; Simms.

Subs: Bass, Hume, Cirkin, Roberts, Embleton, Dajaku, Ba.

MILLWALL (4-2-3-1): Long; McNamara, Cresswell, Cooper, Wallace; Mitchell, Saville; Voglsammer, Flemming, Honeyman; Bradshaw.

Subs: Bialkowski, Malone, Hutchinson, Evans, Shackleton, Styles, Bennett.