SAM ALLARDYCE has named an unchanged Sunderland side for this afternoon's crucial Premier League clash at Stoke City.

Allardyce sticks with the side that claimed a goalless draw at Arsenal last weekend as he looks to keep the Black Cats out of the bottom three.

Sunderland, who currently sit in 17th position, are on the same number of points as Norwich City, who travel to Arsenal in today's late kick-off, and a point ahead of Newcastle United, who host Crystal Palace.

Jermain Defoe will continue as a lone striker at the Britannia Stadium, with Wahbi Khazri once again preferred to Duncan Watmore on the left-hand side.

Stoke have conceded four goals in each of their last three games, and boss Mark Hughes has opted to shuffle his pack.

Peter Crouch replaces Joselu as a lone centre-forward, with Xherdan Shaqiri also coming back into the starting side. Third-choice goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard starts in goal, with Jack Butland and Shay Given both injured.

STOKE (4-2-3-1): Haugaard; Bardsley, Cameron, Shawcross, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula; Shaqiri, Adam, Arnautovic; Crouch.

Subs: Bachmann (gk), Muniesa, Joselu, Diouf, Walters, Wollscheid, Bojan.

SUNDERLAND (4-1-4-1): Mannone; Yedlin, Kone, Kaboul, van Aanholt; Kirchhoff; Borini, M'Vila, Cattermole, Khazri; Defoe.

Subs: Pickford (gk), Jones, O'Shea, Larsson, Rodwell, Watmore, N’Doye.