Lee Johnson weighing up Sunderland changes as they prepare for toughest week yet

Sunderland face a QPR side seventh in the Championship as they look to seal a place in the Carabao Cup quarter final.

Johnson's options have improved after a raft of recent injuries, with Corry Evans, Lynden Gooch and Frederik Alves all returning to the squad for the 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic.

Johnson's initial assessment was that there were some signs of fatigue, and he may look to act accordingly at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

"We'll look at it and obviously, we want to win the game," Johnson said.

"We have a really tough run ahead and we're going to need everybody.

"I thought we did maybe lack a little bit of energy against Charlton. I did think we lacked a bit of zip in our legs, which is understandable given the travelling that we've done recently. Maybe that was the game that caught up with us.

"We definitely have the option to freshen it up and we need that, particularly because we've done well in the cups.

"There's an FA Cup game on the horizon as well and we want to be positive in that.

"We'll have to manage it.

"There's no doubt [being in so many cups] there's a risk, it's a fact.

"The lads are running a half marathon a week at the moment, basically, especially with the intensity we want to play that.

"So we have to use our squad."

The cup tie kicks off a challenging week on the road for Sunderland, who then face Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday in the league.

"We've got to step up," Johnson said.

"It's going to be a really tough week with two really tough games.

"We need to believe in ourselves and I think we have a group that does trust in each other.

"We'll be objective when we look back at the Charlton game and they'll know the bits where they could have done better, and that happens.

"Charlton deserved that win and we have to be really honest, and what it does is sharpen your pencil for when you have to make those big decisions in future."

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