JENSON SEELT and Dennis Cirkin come into the Sunderland side for this lunchtime's televised Championship game with Birmingham City.

With Luke O'Nien and Dan Ballard both serving suspensions, Tony Mowbray has been forced into a major defensive reshuffle against the Blues.

Seelt will make his first competitive start in a Sunderland shirt following his summer move from the youth ranks of PSV Eindhoven.

Cirkin returns for his first start since the start of September, having come off the bench in each of the Black Cats' last three matches.

The remainder of Mowbray's team is unchanged from the side that drew 3-3 at Plymouth last weekend, meaning Ukrainian Nazariy Rusyn continues in attack.


SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Huggins, Hume, Seelt, Cirkin; Neil, Ekwah; Roberts, Bellingham, Clarke; Rusyn.

Subs: Bishop, Pritchard, Aouchiche, Dack, Ba, Triantis, Hemir, Burstow, Mayenda.

BIRMINGHAM (4-2-3-1): Ruddy; Laird, Sanderson, Aiwu, Drameh; James, Sunjic; Miyoshi, Burke, Bacuna; Stansfield.

Subs: Etheridge, Longelo, Oakley, Roberts, Gardner, Khela, Dembele, Jutkiewicz, Hogan.