Tony Mowbray confirms who is likely to captain Sunderland this weekend - and why

Tony Mowbray says that Dan Neil is likely to captain Sunderland against Birmingham City on Saturday.

Club captain Corry Evans is still recovering from an ACL injury and while Luke O'Nien has worn the armband in every league fixture so far this season, he is suspended alongside fellow central defender Dan Ballard for the visit of Wayne Rooney's side.

While a final decision has not yet been made, Mowbray says he is likely to recognise Neil's progress off the pitch as well as on it.

"Yeah, I think so," Mowbray said.

"I say that, I would suggest 99% in my mind Dan will be captain and rightly so, he deserves it.

"As I said to you earlier, he's starting to show real leadership qualities on the grass around the position he plays.

"Understanding how we need to push in around the ball or we need to get tucked in off the side or we need to sit off a bit here, how we roll people into different areas. He understands football and he can make it happen on the grass rather than me screaming like an idiot for 90 minutes.

"It's good when you have players who understand and move people around on the pitch for you."