Sunderland are in desperate need of picking up some form in the Championship, after seeing their season fall off a cliff first under Michael Beale and then their campaign go from bad to worse under Mike Dodds.
Dodds is still winless back in the interim Black Cats management position, with Sunderland last tasting victory back when Beale was still in charge last month against Plymouth Argyle.
It could well see Dodds play some unexpected rolls of the dice to try and mastermind a rare win therefore, trying anything in his power to muster up an elusive three points.
Away from any changes however, the temporary Black Cats boss must stick with Adil Aouchiche in the attacking midfield role for the trip to Cardiff City tomorrow, the Frenchman having shone in the stalemate with Queens Park Rangers right before the international break.
Adil Aouchiche's performance vs QPR in numbers
Aouchiche would be gifted his first Sunderland start since the end of December up against QPR, with his display against the Hoops suggesting he will be kept in Dodds' XI for the trip to Wales.
The former Paris St. Germain youngster was a handful for Marti Cifuentes' men to handle all afternoon, managing to complete three successful dribble attempts and hit the woodwork with one of his three efforts on the QPR net from an explosive 90 minutes.
He couldn't quite add to his solitary goal for the Wearside outfit he managed against Birmingham City earlier in the campaign, but Aouchiche's moment in the spotlight will come again soon if he continues to plug away.
The playmaker also won his fair share of duels in the 0-0 draw, winning six of the 13 ground duels he launched himself into to try and add some bite into an otherwise flat affair.
Patrick Roberts' inclusion back into the starting eleven after battling back from injury alongside Aouchiche could really unsettle the Bluebirds too, with the former Celtic man a menace to deal with when firing on all cylinders.
Why Patrick Roberts should be back in the Sunderland team
The likes of Romaine Mundle and Abdoullah Ba have failed to be as lively and as effective as Jack Clarke and the aforementioned Roberts when both have been in the treatment room, meaning the 27-year-old should find it straightforward to slot back into the XI if fit.
Roberts would replace a lacklustre Ba, with the Black Cats number 17 managing to make just seven accurate passes against QPR before being hauled by Dodds on the 58-minute mark.
Failing to complete any of the four dribble attempts he attempted too, the 20-year-old winger will find his spot up for grabs if a reemerging Roberts passes a late test to be deemed suitable to play.
Once described as being a "magic" footballer by football journalist Josh Bunting, Roberts was key to Sunderland winning their last Championship game against Plymouth before their season unravelled.
Therefore, Dodds could view bringing him back in as a way to pick up a rare three points finally.
Only misplacing two of his 38 passes in the 3-1 win, Roberts would also manage to pick up an assist when teeing up Pierre Ekwah for the equaliser on the day.
Minutes played
69
Assists
1
Touches
58
Key passes
3
Accurate passes
36/38 (95%)
Duels won
5/8
It could well be seen as a risk bringing back in a rusty Roberts, but with Dodds constantly racking his brain for who to select to pull off a first Championship win in seven matches, he could view starting the 27-year-old attacker as a gamble worth taking.
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