Ex-Newcastle Utd ace returns in five changes to Stoke City starting XI vs Sunderland
Dwight Gayle #DwightGayle
Newcastle United promotion winner Dwight Gayle returns to the Stoke City starting XI in five changes from the line-up that took on Brighton in the FA Cup in mid-week – or two to the side that went up against Millwall in the league last weekend.
Gayle, who joined Stoke last summer on a two-year contract, is back in the North East to play alongside Jacob Brown and Tyrese Campbell in a three-man attack.
Matija Sarkic, who was cup-tied on Tuesday, is back in goal in place of Jack Bonham while Phil Jagielka returns to defence, where he joins Dujon Sterling, Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever. Morgan Fox and Josh Tymon do not make the starting XI.
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Ben Pearson is back in central midfield next to Will Smallbone and Josh Laurent.
Gayle never played in the North East derby and has only previously started one game against Sunderland, scoring in a 3-1 win for Crystal Palace back in 2013. He has also made sub appearances against the Mackems for Palace and Stoke.
This is Stoke’s first visit to the Stadium of Light since 2017, when Marko Arnautovic inspired a 3-1 win – and Alex Neil’s first return since leaving Sunderland for Stoke back in August.
Stoke: Sarkic, Sterling, Wilmot, Jagielka, Hoever, Smallbone, Pearson, Laurent, Brown, Gayle, Campbell. Subs: Bonham, Fox, Baker, Tymon, Thompson, Taylor, Lowe.
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