STEVE BRUCE welcomes John O’Shea back into his starting line-up as one of two changes to the Sunderland side that face Fulham at the Stadium of Light today.
O’Shea returns at right back having missed the trip to Manchester United a fortnight ago, a change that sees Phil Bardsley return to left-back and Kieren Richardson push forward into midfield.
Seb Larsson misses out through suspension so Ahmed Elmohamady comes into midfield alongside Lee Cattermole and Jack Colback and Richardson.
In the absence of Connor Wickham, who suffered a knee injury in the defeat at Old Trafford, Stephane Sessegnon partners Nicklas Bendtner up front.
Sunderland: Westwood; O'Shea, Turner, Brown; Bardsley; Cattermole, Colback, Elmohamady, Richardson; Sessegnon, Bendtner.
Subs: Carson, Gardner, Vaughan, Ji, Meyler, Noble, Egan
Fulham: Schwarzer; Baird, Hangeland, Senderos, Hughes; Etuhu, Murphy, Dempsey, Duff; Zamora, Dembele.
Subs: Etheridge, Johnson, Kasami, Ruiz, Gecov, Briggs, Kacaniklic.
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