Hull City vs Sunderland preview: Team news, lineups, predictions
Sunderland continue their preparations for their return to the Premier League with a trip to Hull City.
Regis Le Bris’ side were surprisingly thrashed 3-0 by Scottish Premiership side Hearts on Saturday, and will be looking to bounce back quickly.
The defeat in Edinburgh marked three pre-season fixtures without a win for Sunderland, with the Black Cats’ only victory coming in a 4-0 success against South Shields.
The Wearsiders are halfway through their pre-season schedule, with fixtures against Real Betis, Augsburg and Rayo Vallecano to come after the trip to Humberside.
Team News
Sunderland will be missing Wilson Isidor, Anthony Patterson and Chris Rigg for the trip to the MKM Stadium, after the trio all missed the 3-0 defeat at Hearts on Saturday.
Isidor suffered a contact injury during the 1-1 draw with Sevilla last weekend and is not expected to be back in training until the end of the week.
Patterson and Rigg were not involved in either game in Portugal and will miss both the trip to Hull and the home game against Real Betis, but are on course to be available for the Premier League opener against West Ham United.
Predicted lineup
With Isidor set to miss the game against Hull, Eliezer Mayenda is set to retain his place up top.
Patrick Roberts could return, as Enzo Le Fee could move into the midfield three alongside Habib Diarra and Dan Neil.
Despite the heavy defeat in Scotland, the backline is unlikely to change, with Simon Moore to keep his place due to Patterson’s absence.
Prediction: Hull City 0-2 Sunderland
The Black Cats have made a stuttering start to pre-season, similar to their form towards the end of last season, but now is the time to get back on track.
Hull have had another turbulent summer with the sacking of Ruben Selles, but are yet to taste defeat in pre-season so far.
| Pre-season fixtures | Score |
| South Shields (A) | W 4-0 |
| Sevilla (N) | D 1-1 |
| Sporting CP (N) | L 1-0 |
| Hearts (A) | L 3-0 |
Sunderland should be able to outclass their Championship opponents and seal a much-needed confidence boost ahead of what promises to be a tough Premier League season.
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