Phil Parkinson's message to Sunderland first-teamers ahead of Bristol Rovers and Fleetwood fixtures

The Black Cats have won seven of their last nine games in League One and have named the same starting XI for three successive games.

Parkinson will be forced into at least one change for Saturday’s meeting with Bristol Rovers, though, after defender Bailey Wright was ruled out for eight to 12 weeks with an ankle injury.

Alim Ozturk is expected to take the Australian’s place in the Wearsiders backline, and Parkinson believes the players who haven’t featured recently also deserve credit.

“It’s always difficult when you go with the same team for a prolonged period but the lads out of the team are driving the lads in the team on,” said Parkinson when asked about naming a consistent side.

“That is every day in training and the lads who have got the shirts at the moment know there are some very good players knocking on the door waiting for their opportunity.

“That’s great from my point of view, sometimes the most important players are the ones who are out of the side and the way they train and conduct themselves and they’ve been excellent.”

Parkinson has also been keen to keep standards high following the 1-0 win at Oxford United last weekend.

The result moved Sunderland to within three points of League One leaders Rotherham, with just six points separating the division’s top six sides.

Still, with just 13 games to go, Parkinson knows there is little room for error.

“We try to keep the intensity and standard right in training,” added the Sunderland boss. “Even though we won at Oxford the day we come back into training we need to be ready to go again.

“The moment the warm-up starts everyone needs to be on it and training standards are put in place going into the game.

“You can’t train at half pace and in a sloppy kind of nature and expect to play well at the weekend so we need to maintain standards throughout the week.”