Allardyce makes eight changes

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce made eight changes for this FA Cup fourth-round replay at Ewood Park.

Only goalkeeper Paul Robinson, Ryan Nelsen and Roque Santa Cruz remained from the team that drew against Middlesbrough at the weekend.

Allardyce was looking to stretch his unbeaten run to nine games, with the winners facing Coventry at home in the fifth round.

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon returned to a Sunderland side which showed six changes, after a 10-week absence with an ankle injury.

Blackburn: Robinson, Simpson, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Givet, Villanueva, Mokoena, Dunn, Treacy, Roque Santa Cruz, Roberts.

Subs: Bunn, Ooijer, Kerimoglu, McCarthy, Pedersen, Olsson, Doran.

Sunderland: Gordon, Kay, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Edwards, Leadbitter, Reid, Malbranque, Healy, Murphy.

Subs: Colgan, Bardsley, Whitehead, Richardson, Yorke, Colback, Luscombe.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)