Sunderland and Rovers unchanged for meeting

Ricky Sbragia and Sam Allardyce both fielded unchanged sides as Sunderland and Blackburn looked to put back-to-back wins together.

Black Cats caretaker Sbragia kept faith with the 11 men who started the 4-1 victory at Hull last Saturday, their second successive Barclays Premier League triumph, although there was a seat on the bench for striker El-Hadji Diouf after his spell of compassionate leave.

New Rovers manager Sam Allardyce also named the same team following his side’s 3-0 victory over Stoke in his first game in charge.

Star striker Roque Santa Cruz, whose future has been the subject of intense speculation, was once again missing with a calf problem.

Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Malbranque, Tainio, Richardson, Reid, Cisse, Jones.

Subs: Colgan, Whitehead, Edwards, Diouf, Murphy, Leadbitter, Chimbonda.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Dunn, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy.

Subs: Brown, Khizanishvili, Kerimoglu, Mokoena, Treacy, Derbyshire, Olsson.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)