Bridge on bench for Black Cats (From The Northern Echo)

Bridge on bench for Black Cats

7:38pm Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Sunderland AFC News By Richard Mason, Sports Writer/Sub-Editor

NEW SIGNING Wayne Bridge starts on the bench as Sunderland look to leapfrog Norwich City at the Stadium of Light tonight.

Left-back Bridge, a deadline day signing from Manchester City yesterday, is not in Martin O'Neill's starting XI which contains three changes from the team that drew 1-1 against Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Fraizer Campbell starts in place of the injured Connor Wickham – his first start in the Premier League since Sunderland beat Manchester City 1-0 in August 2010; while Michael Turner replaces Wes Brown in defence. Jack Colback returns to the starting line-up in place of the injured Jack Colback.

O'Neill will lock horns with Norwich manager Paul Lambert for the first time in the dug-out, the former Scotland international spending five years as O'Neill's captain at Celtic.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Mignolet; Bardsley, Turner, O'Shea, Richardson; Larsson, Gardner, Colback; McClean; Sessegnon, Campbell. Subs: Westwood (gk), Elmohamady, Bridge, Wickham, Ji, Lynch, Meyler.

NORWICH CITY (4-4-2): Ruddy; Martin, Whitbread, Ayala, Naughton; Crofts, Hoolahan, Johnson, Surman; Morison, Holt. Subs: Steer, Jackson, Pilkington, Fox, Bennett, Wilbraham, Ward.

Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton)