Mark Robins has this message for ex-Coventry trio Lee Burge, Jordan Willis and Marc McNulty ahead of Sunderland clash

Sunderland goalkeeper Lee Burge and centre back Jordan Willis were both signed from Coventry, the pair having come up through their academy, while the Black Cats also added former Coventry loanee Marc McNulty to their squad this summer.

McNulty is a doubt with a hamstring injury while Willis missed the FA Cup first round replay at Gillingham through injury but Phil Parkinson was hopeful he would be fit.

Burge has become Parkinson’s first pick in goal since the former Bolton boss replaced Jack Ross.

Last season’s entertaining clash at the Stadium of Light was a nine-goal thriller, Sunderland beaten 5-4.

Robins said: “It was a good game last year and this is obviously a different scenario, different set of circumstances and again they’re a good side, good players and a lot of players we know with Lee Burge and Jordan Willis being up there as well as Marc McNulty and I know Joel Lynch very well as well.

“They’ve got good players there’s no doubt about it, but we want to go up and try and do what we do.

“We know we’re going to come up against some threats, McGeady is a top player but I think If we play the way we know we can do, I’m not saying a 5-4 because I think they come round every now and again.”

On the ex-Coventry trio, Robins added: “It helps in the knowledge that you’ve worked with the players before so you do know them but ultimately you pay attention to their strengths and you also pay attention to weaknesses and potential weaknesses and you’ve got to try and exploit that and they’ll be doing exactly the same.

“We have to be mindful of where we are, concentrate on us and what I mean by concentrating on us is you try and work on things where you perhaps feel a bit of weakness and keep doing the things that you think are good and hopefully you improve over time and this weekends no different.”