WES BROWN has retained his place at the heart of the Sunderland defence as Gus Poyet looks to end a run of four matches without a win at Hull City.

Brown had the red card he received in Saturday’s defeat at Manchester United overturned on Monday and stays alongside John O’Shea at the heart of the defence.

Poyet has made four changes to the team which started at Old Trafford, with Adam Johnson the most notable absentee after he was suspended by the club following his arrest over allegations of having sexual activity with an underage girl.

But there is no place either for Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher, with Danny Graham, Jack Rodwell, Liam Bridcutt and Santiago Vergini all recalled to the Sunderland team. There is a real lack of width in the side, with Graham supporting Jermain Defoe inn attack.

Hull’s former Black Cats boss Steve Bruce aims to defeat his former club for the fifth time in a row against Poyet.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): McGregor; Bruce, Dawson, McShane; Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Meyler, Livermore, Robertson; N’Doye, Jelavic. Subs: Harper (gk), Figueroa, Davies, Hernandez, Aluko, Ramirez, Quinn.

SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Pantilimon; Vergini, Brown, O’Shea, Reveillere; Cattermole, Bridcutt; Larsson, Rodwell, Graham; Defoe. Subs: Mannone (gk), van Aanholt, Fletcher, Coates, Wickham, Gomez, Alvarez.