New loan signing Lewis Travis is handed his Town debut and Leif Davis returns to the XI as the Blues host Sunderland in this evening’s live-on-Sky game.
Manager Kieran McKenna has made seven changes from the team which beat AFC Wimbledon 3-1 in the FA Cup last week and three from the side which drew 0-0 at Stoke in the last Championship fixture on New Year’s Day.
Vaclav Hladky is in goal with Davis at left-back, Harry Clarke right-back and Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson at the heart of the defence.
Travis is joined in midfield by Jack Taylor with skipper Sam Morsy suspended and Massimo Luongo absent from the 20-man squad due to what McKenna described as an innocuous ankle injury picked up in training on Thursday.
Conor Chaplin captains in the three with Nathan Broadhead on his left and Wes Burns on the right behind Kayden Jackson. Town’s other January signing, Jeremy Sarmiento, is on the bench.
Sunderland make one change from the team which lost 3-0 at home to Newcastle in the FA Cup last week and beat Preston 2-0 on New Year’s Day with Abdoullah Ba replacing Nazariy Rusyn.
Town have dropped to third following this afternoon’s fixtures with Southampton having hammered Sheffield Wednesday 4-0.
Town: Hladky, Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis, Travis, Taylor, Burns, Chaplin (c), Broadhead, Jackson. Subs: Walton, Tuanzebe, Ball, Humphreys, Harness, Hutchinson, Sarmiento, Aluko, Ladapo.
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, O’Nien (c), Alese, Neil, Ekwah, Pritchard, Bellingham, Clarke, Ba. Subs: Bishop, Seelt, Triantis, Matete, Bennette, Aouchiche, Burstow, Rusyn, Hemir. Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire).