Two key absentees for Sunderland in home game with Millwall
DAN NEIL and Trai Hume are both absent from the Sunderland side for this afternoon's home game with Millwall.
Neil is ruled out through injury, while Hume has been struggling with an illness and is named on the bench.
Neil is replaced by Bradley Dack, with last summer's signing from Blackburn expected to play as Sunderland's main attacker.
That will mean Jobe Bellingham dropping back to partner Pierre Ekwah at the heart of midfield.
Hume's replacement in the starting line-up is Aji Alese, with Mike Dodds set to stick with the five-man defence that has functioned so effectively in the last two games.
Alese will play alongside Dan Ballard and Luke O'Nien at centre-half as Sunderland look to maintain their strong recent form.
Former Sunderland skipper George Honeyman has been named in Millwall's starting side, with Duncan Watmore on the bench for the visitors.
SUNDERLAND (5-4-1): Patterson; Pembele, O'Nien, Ballard, Alese, Styles; Rigg, Ekwah, Bellingham, Clarke; Dack.
Subs: Bishop, Evans, Hemir, Burstow, Mundle, Ba, Aouchiche, Hume, Hjelde.
MILLWALL (4-4-2): Sarkic; Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, McNamara; de Norre, Honeyman, Saville, Longman; Flemming, Obafemi.
Subs: Bialkowski, Hutchinson, Nisbet, Bradshaw, Mayor, Norton-Cuffy, Watmore, Esse, Harding.
