Middlesbrough 1 Sunderland 0 Highlights after Riley McGree goal and Ross Stewart injury blow

Here’s what Chris Wilder has had to say about Mowbray and Sunderland ahead of tonight’s match:

“Tony is a great football man and a great guy. They’re going well and they’ve got that bounce of promotion and winning at Wembley and carrying it through.

“Every game they’ve been competitive in so no doubt, I know they don’t look at this as a derby but I think it’s going to be a tasty affair on Monday night. Full house I should imagine, great atmosphere to be involved in.

“One that - all games I look forward to - but there’s those ones through the season that really take it to the next level. Certainly both sets of supporters will take it to the next level, both sets of players will be looking for that win that both teams are after.”

Despite being tipped by many to challenge for promotion this season, Boro have taken just six points from their opening seven league games.

To find out more we caught up with Robert Nichols from Middlesbrough fanzine Fly Me To The Moon to ask about Sunderland’s next opponents.

Here’s what he said when asked about the side’s start to the season:

“It’s been a really disappointing start to the season and deeply frustrating at times. Conceding late goals so many times have cost us so many points and so many places.

“It was a frustrating final day in the transfer market leaving us short in midfield and attack. The players with the shirts have to grasp this now and really prove they are good enough to rocket away from the bottom and fire up the table.”

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Mowbray represented Boro as a player and a manager, and has been at some of their matches this season.

When asked about the Teessiders, he said: “I watched the Watford vs Middlesbrough game and I thought the Championship is looking stronger every week because I did feel it was lacking quality in the early weeks and now I think the big teams are starting to show their qualities,” he said.

“It was a really high class game.

“They will be a different test for us next Monday away in a vociferous atmosphere and a local derby. Young boys, can they stand up to it? What I can guarantee our supporters is that they will be giving everything and they will be fighting tooth and nail for every ball.”

We’ll start with the Sunderland team news.

Mowbray could name the same starting XI which beat Rotherham last time out, while Daniel Ballard and Niall Huggins remain long-term absentees.

The Black Cats made four new signings in the last few days of the transfer window, with Jewison Bennette, Edouard Michut, Abdoullah Ba and Amad Diallo joining the club.

Asked how close the new signings are to playing a part, Mowbray said: “They will need time to settle, and we need to work on the communication side a bit with one or two in terms of their english.

“We shouldn’t see it as a negative at all if it takes them a little bit of time, and the positive for us is that the team are functioning pretty well out on the grass at the moment, so we can give them that.

“They’ll understand where they’re at, there’ll be a natural period for them to grow into the group. We have talked about putting some bounce games on to give them that game time, get them going, get them in that red-and-white shirt and feel part of the set-up.

“They have been very exciting watching them on the grass, they are fast and lively, athletic. They can dribble and run and shoot.”

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Sunderland’s Championship match against Middlesbrough.

The Black Cats continued their promising start to the campaign with a 3-0 win over Rotherham last time out, with new head coach Tony Mowbray looking to make it back-to-back wins.

We’ll have all the build-up, in-game analysis, post-match reaction and more.

Stick around and refresh the page for live updates throughout the night.