Doyle on the bench for Wolves

Mick McCarthy named an unchanged team as he attempted to ease Wolves further clear of the drop zone at former club Sunderland.

However, there was a return to the bench for striker Kevin Doyle after almost two months out with knee ligament damage suffered on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce made one enforced change as Paraguay midfielder Cristian Riveros was handed just a fifth Barclays Premier League start for the club, and he named youngsters Jordan Cook, Billy Knott, Ryan Noble, Blair Adams, Craig Lynch and Louis Laing among the substitutes.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Elmohamady, Mensah, Onuoha, Bardsley, Henderson, Riveros, Colback, Zenden, Malbranque, Sessegnon.

Subs: Carson, Cook, Knott, Noble, Adams, Lynch, Laing.

Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Foley, Craddock, Mancienne, Elokobi, Guedioura, Henry, O’Hara, Hunt, Fletcher, Ward.

Subs: Hahnemann, Stearman, Ebanks-Blake, Berra, Jarvis, Milijas, Doyle.

Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)