Richardson set to miss out

Kieron Richardson is set to miss Sunderland’s Carling Cup trip to Luton after struggling off in his side’s defeat to Liverpool with a recurrence of a back injury.

Boss Roy Keane will resist making wholesale changes as his squad is already stretched by the absences of captain Dean Whitehead (knee) and Carlos Edwards (hamstring).

Fringe players like Stern John, Russell Anderson and Roy O’Donovan can expect to figure but there will be no place in the squad for veteran striker Andy Cole.

Team (from): Gordon, Ward, Halford, Collins, Wallace, Nosworthy, McShane, Varga, Anderson, Etuhu, Yorke, Miller, Leadbitter, Stokes, Chopra, John, Murphy, Connolly, O’Donovan.