Alex Neil handed new signings Daniel Ballard and Jack Clarke their debuts in Sunderland's Championship opener against Coventry City. Summer arrival from Arsenal Ballard lined up alongside Danny Batth in central defence, while winger Clarke - who was on loan with the Black Cats from Spurs for part of last season before joining on a permanent basis earlier this month - played wide on the left.
It looked like Neil had opted to play his favoured 4-2-3-1 shape, with Lynden Gooch and Dennis Cirkin the full-backs, and Corry Evans and Dan Neil the two central midfielders. That meant Elliot Embleton played wide on the right and Alex Pritchard in the number ten role, with Ross Stewart leading the line up front.
Neil included three more new signings on the bench, with ex-Portsmouth goalkeeper Alex Bass brought in as backup for Anthony Patterson, former West Ham defender Aji Alese also amongst the subs, as was on-loan Everton striker Ellis Simms who joined the club on Friday.
READ MORE: Sunderland vs Coventry LIVE - Build-up, team news and updates from the Stadium of Light
Coventry boss Mark Robins included on-loan Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo in his starting XI, while former Sunderland man Callum Doyle - who was on loan with the Wearsiders last season - was on the bench. Also on the bench was Sunderland academy graduate goalkeeper Ben Wilson.
You can follow this afternoon's game as it happens in our live blog here , with James Hunter at the Stadium of Light to bring you all the latest action, reaction and analysis.
This afternoon's teams
Sunderland: Patterson, Gooch, Ballard, Batth, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Embleton, Pritchard, Clarke, Stewart
Subs: Bass, Wright, Alese, Simms, Roberts, Hume, O'Nien
Coventry City: Moore, Hyam, McFadzean, Panzo, Eccles, Allen, Shead, Hamer, Bidwell, Godden, Gyokeres
Subs: Wilson, Rose, Doyle, Dabo, Palmer, Walker, Tavares
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- Sunderland new boy Ellis Simms reveals Nathan Broadhead's role in his move to Wearside
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