Sunderland v Preston North End: Highlights and reaction as Romaine Mundle rescues point
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Sunderland return to Championship action on Tuesday night as they take on Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston North End at the Stadium of Light.
You can follow all the latest as it happens throughout the night in our live blog below.
Sunderland v Preston North End LIVE
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the Stadium of Light, where we’ll bring you live coverage of Sunderland’s clash with Preston North End.
Stay tuned!!
The big Sunderland injury news
Régis Le Bris had some good news at his pre-match press conference yesterday after Patrick Roberts limped out of that win over Cardiff City on Saturday, telling us:
Patrick is fine and will be available tomorrow. He only played 25 minutes on Saturday so I think he will be fine to start the game, but we will see tomorrow.
One to watch
Tonight is the final game before the second yellow-card amnesty of the season, with Jobe Bellingham the only Sunderland player at risk of a two-game ban.
Le Bris has hinted that he won’t rest the midfielder, having managed the three games he has been on nine yellows effectively:
He has managed the situation very well so far.
We’ll see tomorrow but it’s part of the situation you have to manage over a season. It’s not a major focus for us.
Preston North End injury news
Here’s the injury news from the visitors as we have it...
- Midfielder Ali McCann is absent with a calf problem
- Striker Milutin Osmajic is a doubt with a hip problem, but is expected to play some part
- Brentford loanee Jayden Maghoma and creative midfielder Mads Frokjaer could return to the squad after injury
- Defenders Jack Storey and Jack Whatmough are both out injured, though Storey is nearing a return
Heckingbottom's Sunderland verdict
Here’s what the PNE boss had to say about Sunderland following their narrow defeat to Burnley
We're playing another good team, a dangerous team. But one thing we'll consistently work on and until we perfect it more often than not is our approach to games. It sounds a bit backwards, but I would have rather been losing at half-time but not have Sheffield United knock us off our stride - if that makes sense.
Because if we can get that, then consistently we'll be picking up more points than what we are. So that'll be the same approach against Sunderland.
Nothing has changed (with Sunderland) - I like the wide players, Patrick Roberts has come off today so I don't know about that situation. But I like the wide players. Lots of rotation, the full-backs get involved whether it's inside or outside, which is how they played against us early on in the season as well. So, another test. They're up there on merit but that's what we want to play. We've had some big performances away from home.
Injury update
Trey Ogunsuyi will be absent tonight with injury, meaning Joe Anderson is likely to keep his place on the bench
Sunderland players and staff are coming together tonight to celebrate Carlton Fairweather’s impact and legacy after over two decades working at the club.
Fairweather, 63, has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
A club statement reads:
Sunderland AFC will celebrate Carlton Fairweather’s remarkable impact on the Club this week.
Part of the fabric at the Academy of Light, Fairweather, 63, was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Following requests from players and staff alike, the Sunderland community will come together ahead of Tuesday's fixture against Preston North End to honour his two-decade association with the Club.
Carlton was a member of Wimbledon's famed 'Crazy Gang' during his playing days, which also included spells with Bromley, Tooting & Mitcham, and Carlisle United.
His association with Sunderland started in 2003 when he began coaching on Wearside and he led SAFC Women as Head Coach from 2014 to 2017.
More recently part of the Club's professional development phase coaching team, we spoke to those who know Carlton best to fully understand his legacy on Wearside.
You can read tributes from Dan Neil, Mel Reay and many others here
BREAKING: Three Sunderland changes
4-4-2? Looks that way!
Sunderland XI: Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O’Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Jobe, Roberts, Watson; Mayenda, Isidor
Subs: Moore, Aleksic, Rigg, Hjelde, Seelt, Jones, Anderson, Browne, Mundle
Mixed news for Preston
Preston North End have had mixed news on the injury front, with influential striker Milutin Osmajic again missing with a hip problem.
Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma is fit to return at left back, while Mads Frokjaer returns to the bench.
Wilson Isidor straight into the action on his return.... fouling his opposite number 18 seconds into the game!
Preston launch that free kick deep into the Sunderland box and Ryan Porteous wins it, but it runs out of play for a goal kick.
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