Stoke City team news vs Sunderland as Ryan Shawcross ditches back five
Caretaker boss Ryan Shawcross has made three changes to the starting XI and returned Stoke City to a back four against Sunderland.
Shawcross is standing in as manager following the exit of Narcis Pelach after Boxing Day's 2-0 home defeat to Leeds United, when Stoke played a back five and got sucked deeper and deeper as the game went on.
Eric Bocat, Tatsuki Seko and Bae Junho are recalled, with Ben Gibson, Lynden Gooch and Sol Sidibe making way to make for a team where players are all playing in their preferred positions.
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Viktor Johansson starts in goal behind Junior Tchamadeu at right-back, Bocat on the left and Ben Wilmot and Ashley Phillips in the middle. Seko is next to Wouter Burger in central midfield, behind number 10 Andrew Moran. Lewis Koumas is expected to be on the right wing, Junho, and Tom Cannon up front.
Stoke searching for their first win in nine games against a Sunderland side which won the reverse fixture 2-1 thanks to a late, late goal only earlier this month.
Stoke: Johansson, Tchamadeu, Bocat, Wilmot, Phillips, Seko, Burger, Moran, Koumas, Junho, Cannon. Subs: Bonham, Gooch, Rose, Stevens, Lawal, Sidibe, Tezgel, Gallagher, Ennis.
