Nathan Broadhead came into the starting line-up as Alex Neil made three changes to the side that beat Gillingham on Wearside last weekend. Broadhead, who came off the bench to score Sunderland's winner against the Gills on his comeback from a hamstring injury, started up front at Oxford alongside Ross Stewart.
Lynden Gooch also came into the starting XI, while January signing Jay Matete started in midfield after being rested in recent weeks. Influential midfielder Alex Pritchard was one of the men to make way and there was no sign of him in the matchday squad, which will be a worry given that he only returned from an ankle injury last Saturday.
Luke O'Nien and Danny Batth were the other men left out, but they were both included on the bench. Neil also looked to have shifted to a back three, with Carl Winchester and Dennis Cirkin expected to play either side of Bailey Wright, and with Gooch and Jack Clarke as the wingbacks.
READ MORE: Anthony Patterson is improving with every game, says Alex Neil
As for Oxford, Karl Robinson also made three changes, in his case to the side that lost at Morecambe in midweek. Elliott Moore, Cameron Brannagan, and Billy Bodin came into the side, with Ryan Williams, Marcus McGuane, and Gavin Whyte, dropping to the bench.
You can follow all the action as it happens in our live blog here.
Today's teams
Sunderland: Patterson, Winchester, Wright, Cirkin, Gooch, Evans, Matete, Clarke, Roberts, Broadhead, Stewart
Subs: Hoffmann, Embleton, Neil, O'Nien, Batth, Hume, Doyle
Oxford United: Stevens, Long, McNally, Moore, Brown, Bodin, Kane, Brannagan, Sykes, Taylor, Holland
Subs: Eastwood, Williams, Winnall, Forde, McGuane, Whyte, Seddon
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