SUNDERLAND head to Wigan Athletic tomorrow evening looking to secure a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

The Latics knocked Lee Johnson’s side off top spot at the weekend – what are the key issues ahead of this evening’s cup tie?


WHO SHOULD START IN GOAL?

Thorben Hoffman has been installed as Sunderland’s new number one following his deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, but having started the last two league matches, the German is likely to be rested tomorrow.

That leaves Johnson with a choice between Lee Burge, who has been on the bench for the last two league games, and Anthony Patterson, who was in the starting side for the two league matches prior to Hoffman’s arrival but who played in today's Under-23s game against Middlesbrough.

Burge’s presence on the substitutes’ bench at the weekend suggests he is regarded as Sunderland’s number two, so the likelihood is that he will start.

That would be a blow to Patterson, and if he is effectively the number three, the 21-year-old might well push for a loan move in January.


WILL DAJAKU MAKE HIS DEBUT?

While Hoffman went straight into the side following his arrival from Germany, his fellow deadline-day signing, Leon Dajaku, is yet to feature.

That might well change tomorrow, with a Carabao Cup third-round tie providing the ideal opportunity to get the 20-year-old some game time.

Dajaku is primarily a winger, but he can play anywhere across the frontline, so assuming he starts at the DW Stadium, his position in the starting line-up will provide an indication as to where Johnson envisages him spending most of his time in a Black Cats shirt.


A CHANCE FOR PRITCHARD AND EVANS?

During the summer, it was anticipated that recent arrivals Corry Evans and Alex Pritchard would form Sunderland’s central-midfield pairing for much of the season. Instead, they have found themselves on the fringe of things in the early weeks of the campaign.

There are reasons for their lack of action – Pritchard missed a big chunk of pre-season after contracting Covid while Evans suffered a hamstring injury after starting the opening two league games – but both players now find themselves with a fight on their hands.

Dan Neil and Elliot Embleton have had excellent starts, while Luke O’Nien has established himself as Johnson’s first-choice defensive midfielder. Evans and Pritchard need a strong performance to advance their claim.


A NEW START FOR O’BRIEN

Aiden O’Brien has had an excellent Carabao Cup campaign so far, scoring four goals in Sunderland’s victories over Port Vale and Blackpool.

However, a week after claiming a hat-trick at Bloomfield Road, the Irishman was on the verge of joining Doncaster, only for a proposed season-long loan to collapse on deadline day.

As a result, O’Brien is back in the fold, although he did not make the 18-man squad for Saturday’s game at Fleetwood.

If he starts tomorrow, it will be an opportunity to draw a line under the events of August 31. If he doesn’t, it is hard to see when he will feature before the transfer window reopens.


A PSYCHOLOGICAL BATTLE WITH WIGAN

Both sides will make changes tomorrow, so it could be argued that whatever happens will have no bearing on the battle to win promotion.

However, with Sunderland having been responsible for Wigan’s only defeat of the season as they won 2-1 on the opening weekend, an away win tomorrow would give the Black Cats an important psychological advantage over the only side currently above them in the table.

Sunderland and Portsmouth were recently locked in a series of battles in both league and cup, and there was a time when it felt as though Pompey had their rivals’ number.

This season’s promotion battle remains at a formative stage, but it would do the Black Cats no harm to extend their 100 per cent record against Wigan.


Sunderland (probable, 4-2-3-1): Burge; Huggins, Alves, Flanagan, Cirkin; Evans, O’Nien; O’Brien, Pritchard, Dajaku; Broadhead.