Roberto Mancini has placed Sergio Aguero and David Silva on the bench for the trip to Sunderland this afternoon.

Edin Dzeko and Adam Johnson feature in place of the pair for Manchester City, who also make changes in midfield, where Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry start.

Mario Balotelli is left out altogether for the Premier League leaders.

For the home side Martin O'Neill is forced to make changes with impressive keeper Kieren Westwood missing out. He is replaced by Simon Mignolet, while midfielders Craig Gardner and Jack Colback will fill in at full-back for the Black Cats.

James McClean is also given his full debut on the left side of midfield.

Sunderland: Mignolet; Gardner, Brown, O'Shea, Colback; Larsson, Cattermole, Vaughan, McClean; Sessegnon, Bendtner

Man City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; De Jong, Barry, Y Toure; A Johnson, Dzeko, Nasri