BRANDON TAYLOR and Bali Mumba will be included in the Sunderland squad that travels to Scunthorpe United for tomorrow night’s final group game in the Leasing.com Trophy.

Sunderland need to win at Glanford Park to guarantee themselves a place in the knockout stages of the competition, but with Jon McLaughlin, Connor McLaughlin and Tom Flanagan all unavailable because of international duties, the Black Cats will be making defensive alterations.

Taylor, a 20-year-old academy product, is in contention to start at centre-half, while Mumba, who burst on to the first-team scene under Jack Ross last season, could find himself filling in at right-back.

However, it will not be a line-up comprised entirely of youth players, with Sunderland’s management determined to name a strong enough side to secure a place in the last-32 of the competition.

“I think Brandon will be travelling,” said assistant boss Steve Parkin. “Phil (Parkinson) is just looking at the squad at the moment, so we’ll make a final decision, but I would have thought three or four of the Under-23s will travel, even though some of them played yesterday. Bali Mumba would probably be one of those.

“I think it was always in our minds to play some of the lads we’d not seen against Leicester, and then with not having a game at the weekend, take a strong squad to Scunthorpe. I think that was always in our thoughts, and that will remain the same.”

Lee Burge has been passed fit to start in goal in McLaughlin’s absence, with Anthony Patterson set to be named as the substitute goalkeeper on the bench.

“Lee is fine,” confirmed Parkin. “He’s trained fully this morning.”