Jack Ross hands out four Sunderland debuts as Oxford throw Liverpool loanee straight into XI

Jack Ross has handed Elliot Embleton his first Sunderland league start for the opening game of the League One campaign.

By Phil Smith

Published 3rd Aug 2019, 14:05 BST

Updated 3rd Aug 2019, 15:05 BST

Elliot Embleton is making his first league start for Sunderland

The 20-year-old has impressed in pre-season after returning from a successful loan spell at Grimsby Town.

Ross has handed out four debuts, with Marc McNulty going straight into the starting XI.

The Black Cats boss has sprung a mild surprise at wing-back, with Lynden Gooch preferred to last season’s young player of the year Luke O’Nien.

Oxford United boss Karl Robinson has thrown loanee Ben Woodburn straight into the starting XI after he made the switch from Liverpool earlier this week.

Defensive midfielder Alex Gorrin, who was a Sunderland academy product, has also been handed his first start for the club after joining earlier in the summer.

Sunderland XI: McLaughlin; McLaughlin, Willis, Flanagan; Gooch, McGeouch, Dobson, Hume; Embleton, McNulty, Grigg

Subs: Burge, Watmore, Leadbitter, Ozturk, McGeady, Maguire, O’Nien