The story of the day as Luke O'Nien and Lynden Gooch seal Sunderland victory at Oxford United
Our team will be providing live match updates, analysis, insight and reaction from the clash between the Black Cats and the U’s – but can Phil Parkinson’s side claim three points on the road?Scroll down the page to view our live blog – and let the updates roll in as the day progresses:
RECAP: Oxford United 0-2 Sunderland AFC (O’Nien 47; Gooch 81)
Goooooood morning!
And welcome to our Sunderland AFC live blog.
We’re on the road today as the Black Cats head to the Kassam Stadium.
Both Phil Smith and Mark Donnelly will be at the game, bringing you the latest action, analysis, insight and reaction from the third tier clash.
So stick with us throughout the day for comprehensive match coverage…
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Stream details for today’s game
Sunderland fans can stream today’s game via SAFSee.
Streaming passes can be purchased via safc.com for £10.
Who’s in the teams today?
Here’s the early team news from both camps…
SUNDERLAND
Elliot Embleton remains sidelined through injury, but is moving towards a return, while George Dobson is suspended.
Josh Scowen and Grant Leadbitter are both available for selection after missing training during the week due to family bereavement and slight niggle respectively.
OXFORD UNITED
The U’s could be without a number of key men for today’s game.
Josh Ruffels, Jamie Hanson, Alex Gorrin and John Mousinho are all set to be sidelined.
Matty Taylor and Mark Sykes are both touch-and-go.
The Sunderland boss is targeting final third improvements today
Phil ParkinsonWe need to make more of our dominance in terms of our possession and getting in good areas and positions, the areas we've got to hit with our crossing and the calmness and quality we need in our final pass. That's what we need to turn what was a decent performance into a winning one. There were a lot of good elements to our play, but a higher percentage of our final ball has got to hit the target and we need to have that return in terms of chances created.
Sunderland have arrived!
The Black Cats square are checking out the surface at the Kassam Stadium, and all the usual suspects are here - barring, of course, the suspended George Dobson.
Jack Diamond and Morgan Feeeney, who both missed out last week, have travelled with the Sunderland squad.
Will Grigg, meanwhile, has just shared a chat and a fist bump with Karl Robinson - a manager who tried to sign him last January.
THE TEAM NEWS IS IN!
And here’s how Sunderland line-up today…
SUNDERLAND XI: Burge, Flanagan, Willis, Wright, O’Nien, Hume, Power, Leadbitter, O’Brien, Maguire, Graham
SUNDERLAND SUBS: McLaughlin, Wyke, Gooch, Scowen, Xhemajli, Matthews, Grigg
So he two big pieces of news from the Black Cats camp are that Will Grigg is DROPPED - with Danny Graham handed a (second) full debut.
In midfield, meanwhile, Grant Leadbitter is preferred to Josh Scowen.
Here’s how the hosts line-up
A big boost for The U’s as striker Matty Taylor - rated a doubt in midweek - starts.
So too does winger Mark Sykes who also had a knock.