STEPHANE Sessegnon and Ahmed Elmohamady are set to be the fall guys for Sunderland's insipid display at Norwich City on Monday.

Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is determined to make changes after admitting "six or seven players played well below their level" at Carrow Road.

His options are somewhat limited by the alternatives available within the squad, but a major shake-up of both the midfield and attack is anticipated when West Brom visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Sessegnon and Elmohamady are understood to be the players most at risk, with neither having covered themselves in glory on Monday.

Sessegnon has failed to live up to his sparkling pre-season form in the opening seven matches of the campaign, while Elmohamady did not look comfortable in a wide-midfield role at Norwich, having spent some of the earlier part of the season at full-back.

Both are set to drop to the substitutes' bench at the weekend, with Bruce poised to recall skipper Lee Cattermole to stiffen the midfield and hand Connor Wickham his first start since an £8.1m summer move from Ipswich Town.

Cattermole has sat out the last two matches, but his tough-tackling approach was missed at Carrow Road and his return would result in either David Vaughan or Craig Gardner switching to a wider role.

Bruce has adopted a patient approach with Wickham thus far, but the lack of a cutting edge three days ago is set to result in the teenager partnering Nicklas Bendtner in a remodelled 4-4-2 formation.

There is also likely to be a change in the back four, with Michael Turner ready to make his first appearance of the season in place of Titus Bramble, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug on Tuesday evening.

Sunderland officials issued a brief statement confirming they were "looking into the situation" regarding Bramble yesterday, and Bruce is likely to be quizzed about the defender's position when he attends his scheduled pre-match press conference tomorrow morning.

The Sunderland manager's own position was called into question by a number of supporters in the wake of Monday's defeat, but Bruce remains confident he retains the support of both chairman Niall Quinn and owner Ellis Short, both of whom were at Carrow Road.

His relationship with Asamoah Gyan appears rocky though, with the striker questioning Bruce's account of his loan move to UAE side Al-Ain yesterday.

In the wake of Gyan's £6m temporary switch, Bruce claimed the Ghanaian and his representatives effectively presented the loan arrangement as a fait accompli, a version of events that is disputed by the forward.

"Everybody who matters at the club gave his consent to the move because they were happy with the offer," said Gyan, who is still to score for his new temporary employers.

"I heard Bruce grant interviews after I left which has baffled me. I did not leave on my own accord. Sunderland agreed before the deal was reached.

"I have no problems with the coach and I have never had a problem with the coach. There is no problem between us, although we are yet to speak since I moved. I believe the move was good for the club, that is why they allowed me to go."