Injury worries for boss

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is without injured Phil Bardsley, James Vaughan and Wes Brown for the clash with Reading.

Bardsley faces a long spell out after ankle surgery and Vaughan has a hernia problem which will keep him out, Brown may make the bench as his ankle injury is not thought to be too severe. Martin O'Neill will hope to have Steven Fletcher available as his transfer gets close to completion but there are no guarantees on that front. Louis Saha came off the bench at Arsenal and may be given the chance to impress from the start with Stephane Sessegnon and Fraizer Campbell the manager's other options up front.