Injury worries mount for O'Neill

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill faces a series of selection problems ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round trip to Peterborough.

O'Neill is keeping his cards close to his chest as he awaits news on defenders Wes Brown (groin), Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) and Phil Bardsley (thigh), midfielder Jack Colback (ankle), who has filled in at left-back in recent weeks, and striker Connor Wickham (knee).

Keeper Keiren Westwood and midfielder Sebastian Larsson both missed the midweek victory at Wigan because of the after-effects of illness. Westwood’s goalkeeping colleague Craig Gordon and central defender Michael Turner (both knee) played for the reserves on Wednesday but remain short of match fitness while Fraizer Campbell (also knee) was due to train today as he nears a comeback.

Provisional squad: Mignolet, Westwood, Carson, O’Shea, Kilgallon, Laing, Cattermole, Richardson, Gardner, Vaughan, Larsson, Colback, Elmohamady, McClean, Meyler, Sessegnon, Bendtner, Wickham, Ji, R. Noble.