Di Canio starts O’Shea for Black Cats, Duff in Fulham side

Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent had to settle for a place on the bench as his new club Fulham prepared to kick off the new Barclays Premier League season at the Stadium of Light.

Bent joined the Cottagers on a season-long loan from Aston Villa yesterday but was made to wait for his full debut as boss Martin Jol named fellow new boys Maarten Stekelenburg, Sascha Riether, Derek Boateng and Adel Taarabt in his starting line-up.

Black Cats boss Paolo Di Canio opted to start with five of his new signings - Ondrej Celustra, Valentin Roberge, Cabral, Emanuele Giaccherini and Jozy Altidore – while Keiren Westwood was preferred to Vito Mannone in goal.

Sunderland: Westwood, Celustka, Roberge, O’Shea, Colback, Giaccherini, Larsson, Cabral, Johnson, Sessegnon, Altidore.

Subs: Wickham, Mandron, Moberg Karlsson, Diakite, Ba, Cuellar, Ji.

Fulham: Stekelenburg, Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Richardson, Kasami, Boateng, Sidwell, Duff, Taarabt, Berbatov.

Subs: Senderos, Ruiz, Stockdale, Karagounis, Briggs, Rodallega, Bent.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)