EDOUARD MICHUT and Abdoullah Ba both start for Sunderland in this evening's Championship game at Wigan Athletic.
Tony Mowbray has made five changes to the side that kicked off the Boxing Day win over Blackburn Rovers, with the Black Cats in the midst of a run of three games in the space of six days.
Bailey Wright returns to partner Dan Ballard at the heart of the back four, with O'Nien moving across to left-back to replace the injured Dennis Cirkin.
Trai Hume starts at right-back, with Lynden Gooch unavailable after suffering an injury on Boxing Day.
With Corry Evans not in the squad, Ba partners Dan Neil in central midfield as he makes only his second start in a Sunderland shirt.
Michut is making his first start following summer loan move from Paris St Germain, and will form part of an attacking-midfield trio that also features Amad Diallo and Jack Clarke.
Simms will lead the line after coming off the bench to score the winner against Blackburn, with Ross Stewart named amongst the substitutes as Mowbray continues to limit the striker's workload following his return from a long-term thigh injury.
Alex Pritchard is also named amongst the Sunderland substitutes as he completes his own recovery from injury.
Wigan's starting line-up features three former Sunderland players - Max Power, James McClean and Ashley Fletcher.
WIGAN (4-5-1): Jones; Darikwa, Hughes, Tilt, McClean; Lang, Power, Keane, Naylor, Aasgaard; Fletcher.
Subs: Amos (gk), Nyambe, Cousins, Scully, Shinnie, Bennett, Broadhead.
SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Hume, Ballard, Wright, O'Nien; Neil, Ba; Amad, Michut, Clarke; Simms.
Subs: Bass, Matete, Roberts, Pritchard, Stewart, Dajaku, Bennette.
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