Tony Mowbray confirms Sunderland selection plan ahead of Cardiff City clash

The Black Cats are back in action at Cardiff City days after conceding a late penalty to Hull City, denying them two crucial points that would have taken them to within four of the top six.

Mowbray knows that has left the odds stacked emphatically against his side sneaking into the top six, but wants to try and ensure a promising first campaign back in the Championship doesn't fizzle out.

The Sunderland head coach will freshen up his XI amid a demanding schedule and that is likely to mean a return for Cirkin, with Alex Pritchard another contender to come into the side after impressing from the bench against Hull.

Mowbray had hoped and indeed planned to bring Dan Ballard back into the side, but the defender is now facing a battle to play again this season after the hamstring issue he suffered returned during training last week.

"We'll move people around for the game on Monday and let's wait and see how we go," Mowbray said.

"We have defensive issues at the moment, we've got Dennis Cirkin there on the bench and he'll probably play on Monday. I feel as if we've got good games ahead.

"Cardiff I think having won on Friday will have had some of the anxiety taken away from them, they're dangerous and any game away is difficult.

"Birmingham and Huddersfield come pretty quick off the back of that, at home there are potentially points for us. Let's see if we can take it to the last two or three games and see if we can make it exciting for the supporters. It would be nice if we can do that, we know everyone would have been buzzing if we'd held on against Hull, we'd be thinking we might be able to sneak in.

"A point from each of the last two games is a bit frustrating but maybe with where this team came from, when you look at the other teams promoted this season, we're doing OK and we just have to keep growing and learning, keep getting better."

Mowbray's desire to keep the season alive means he is unlikely to make wholesale changes to the core of his side at this stage, even though he is conscious he needs to prepare for the departure of Amad this summer.

The head coach wants to increase Isaac Lihadji and Abdoullah Ba's playing time before the end of the campaign but insists he has to get the timing right.

"Isaac needs to get minutes, Abdoullah needs to get minutes and we will make changes when we feel its right," Mowbray said.

"Yet Amad is a wonderful talent, it took him a week or so to get back up to speed after the international footballer but he makes the right decisions, picks the right pass and gets the weight of the ball right, he's top quality and so it's about the balance - for this team and this club we have to get experience for these young footballers."