January signing Jermain Defoe made the first start of his second spell at Sunderland, as one of two changes Alex Neil made in the wake of the weekend defeat against MK Dons.
Ex-England and Spurs striker Defoe was brought in to partner Ross Stewart, with Dan Neil making way.
Neil's second change saw Lynden Gooch return from the calf injury that had kept him out for Sunderland's last three games, and he replaced Leon Dajaku.
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Dajaku and Neil were both included on the bench, as was Danny Batth who returned from an ankle injury.
Anthony Patterson continued in goal, with Thorben Hoffmann again named amongst the subs.
Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made five changes to the side that started the Brewers' weekend 3-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
Oumar Niasse, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Johnny Smith, Michael Mancienne, and Charlie Lakin came into the side, with Frazer Blake-Tracy, Jacob Maddox, Gassan Ahadme, Christian Saydee, and former Sunderland academy man Williams Kokolo dropping out.
You can follow the game as it happens in our live blog here, plus get all the post-match analysis and reaction.
Tonight's line-ups
Sunderland: Patterson, Winchester, Wright, Doyle, Cirkin, Gooch, Matete, Evans, Pritchard, Defoe, Stewart
Subs: Hoffmann, Batth, Dajaku, Embleton, Neil, Clarke, Roberts
Burton Albion: Garratt, Brayford, Hughes, Shaughnessy, Hamer, Smith, Powell, Mancienne, Lakin, Borthwick-Jackson, Niasse
Subs: Kovar, Ahadme, Chapman, Saydee, Rowe, Kokolo, Taylor
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