Sunderland were set to welcome Karl Robinson’s side to the Stadium of Light on Saturday but international call-ups led to the game having to be rescheduled.
The Black Cats must now keep their attention focused on the Papa John’s Trophy following Tuesday night’s success over Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium.
A rocket from midfielder Dan Neil and a debut goal from Stephen Wearne were enough to see off the Imps as Johnson and his side set out on the defence of their Papa John’s Trophy.
Sunderland welcome Manchester United U23’s to Wearside next week looking to make it back-to-back wins in the competition and secure a passage into the knockout phase.
But here, we look at what has been happening around League One over the last 24 hours with some of Sunderland’s rivals.
A message from the Football Clubs Editor
Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.
This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.
Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor.
![It was a day to forget, in more ways than one, for Sunderland last week as the Black Cats were humbled at Fratton Park. Marcus Harness, Lee Brown and a John Marquis double inflicted a heavy defeat on Johnson’s side and it’s one which gave defender Flanagan flashbacks to another game in red and white he’d like to forget. “Today is a day that is alongside only one other game that I look at in a Sunderland shirt, where I wish it could be deleted, and that would be Coventry at home [in 2019]," he told the Northern Echo “A centre forward can play badly, or a right-winger or central midfielder can have a bad game. When you’re at the back, and you’ve had a bad game as a group – or sometimes even when you don’t have a bad game – to concede four goals everyone’s eyes are on you.” (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjhmZGU2YTUyLTU1NDMtNGM3Ni04MGQzLTkxNjIyYzI0YTY4ZDpkYzU5NzVmMS0wMTE5LTQxNzYtOTNhOC1lZWQ5ZmYyZjQwZjg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
1. Flanagan on result to forget
It was a day to forget, in more ways than one, for Sunderland last week as the Black Cats were humbled at Fratton Park. Marcus Harness, Lee Brown and a John Marquis double inflicted a heavy defeat on Johnson’s side and it’s one which gave defender Flanagan flashbacks to another game in red and white he’d like to forget. “Today is a day that is alongside only one other game that I look at in a Sunderland shirt, where I wish it could be deleted, and that would be Coventry at home [in 2019]," he told the Northern Echo “A centre forward can play badly, or a right-winger or central midfielder can have a bad game. When you’re at the back, and you’ve had a bad game as a group – or sometimes even when you don’t have a bad game – to concede four goals everyone’s eyes are on you.” (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images) Photo: Pete Norton
2. Portsmouth loan star wants minutes
Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has told Manchester Evening News he will prioritise getting minutes on the field when it comes to his future. The 19-year-old is currently on-loan with Portsmouth and has kept four clean sheets for Danny Cowley’s side. “My priority will always be to try and get as many games as I can because, at the end of the day, I don’t want to be sitting on the bench, I want to be out playing week in, week out if possible," he said. “If the best thing for me is to be in or around the squad, learning every day and training, if that’s my best opportunity to become Manchester City number one, then I’d have to consider that in the future.” (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images) Photo: Oisin Keniry
3. Evatt challenges striker
Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has challenged striker Nathan Delfouneso to prove he deserves a spot in his League One starting line-up after the former Aston Villa and Blackpool man grabbed his second goal of the season in their Papa John’s Trophy win over Liverpool U23’s. Evatt told Manchester Evening News: “Me and Nathan have spoken a lot about what he has to do to get in the team and we need to see more of that. We know Nathan has the talent but he has to produce it because we’ve got some really good players in every area of the pitch. You should want to be the best player, you should want to impress the manager, you should want to impress your teammates. It just boils down to taking opportunities every single day you step foot on the grass.” (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Photo: Lewis Storey
4. First class Comley
Sticking with the Trotters and Evatt has also heaped praise on midfielder Brandon Comley after returning to the team for the first time in eight months in the midweek Papa John’s Trophy success. Comely has been out of favour at the University of Bolton Stadium and as such was not included in Evatt’s League One squad at the beginning of the season. But Evatt has been delighted with the 25-year-old’s attitude in training in the hope he can revive his Wanderers career. I think it’s credit to him,” Evatt told the Bolton News. “His attitude and application was first class. It hasn’t been easy for Brandon but there has never been a problem personally between him and myself. It is just about selection, and it is business at the end of the day. It is football.” (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Photo: Lewis Storey