Sam Hutchinson details potential Reading weakness ahead of Sunderland clash

Sunderland are next in action against Millwall at the Stadium of Light on Saturday but then face Reading in the Championship away from home the following Wednesday. Mowbray will be without Ross Stewart and Dennis Cirkin after it was confirmed that the pair had picked up muscle injuries.

Reading were last in action on Sunday when they defeated Alex Neil’s Stoke City 2-1.

“It’s a great result, especially after Tuesday it is good to get a win,” said Hutchinson, speaking after the game.

“We made it hard for ourselves at the time, I think we had a few chances and we’ve got to do better defending set pieces because we know what they’re like and the threat they pose,” Hutchinson added on a potential weakness.

"We spoke about second balls all week and we didn’t do that for the goal but as a collective, we’ll get learn from that, work on it and become better as a team because of it.”

"I think it was important for us to start well after last week and we needed to have a right go from the start and that’s what we did," he said.

“I think this year especially we have the experience to see games out. We worked hard, we dug in and you could see the identity coming through. As a collective up top we were still a threat, with Incey [Tom Ince] running all over the place, Jeff [Hendrick] holding and Ty [Fornah] on the ball was fantastic for us and Lucas [Joao], the big man, getting his two goals too so we are happy.

“We are a small squad but we’re tight as a unit and we all want to fight for the team as the most important thing for the club is to stay in this league first and foremost and then see how far up the league we can get. We can rest and recover and go again. We’ll have a good training week, get some energy back in our legs and go for Watford that’s going to be a good game.”