Wycombe Wanderers vs Sunderland team news
With a Covid outbreak and injuries to contend with, Lee Johnson was forced into three changes at Wycombe Wanderers.
Thorben Hoffmann, Bailey Wright, and Leon Dajaku were the men who featured in Sunderland's last game against Sheffield Wednesday who missed out this afternoon.
With backup goalkeeper Lee Burge also absent, academy product Anthony Patterson was recalled from his loan spell at Notts County on the eve of the game and he started in place of Hoffmann, with the 21-year-old making his first start for the Black Cats since the end of August when he was between the posts against Wycombe at the Stadium of Light.
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Carl Winchester returned from a calf injury to replace injury victim Wright at right-back, while Dennis Cirkin came in at left-back which allowed Lynden Gooch to move to the right flank in place of Dajaku.
Hoffmann, Dajaku and Burge were among six players ruled out after returning positive Covid tests, with the others being Frederik Alves, Benji Kimpioka, and Cieran Dunne. Aiden O'Brien missed out as he recovers from Covid.
That left Sunderland with an inexperienced bench which included 20-year-old goalkeeper Jacob Carney, Ellis Taylor, and Ollie Younger, along with Arbenit Xhemajli who was involved in a league game for the first time since his long injury absence, while Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes were amongst the subs after being recalled from their loan spells at Harrogate Town and Tranmere Rovers respectively.
Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth made one change to the side that won at Charlton on New Year's Day, with Anthony Stewart replacing Jason McCarthy.
Former Sunderland midfielder Josh Scowen, who left Wearside last summer at the end of his contract, started for the Chairboys.
You can follow today's game as it happens in our live match blog here.
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