Wright starts: The predicted Sunderland XI to face Sheffield United on Wednesday night | OneFootball

Sunderland’s 2-2 draw with QPR at the weekend will have felt like a defeat given how things played out.

The Black Cats had led 2-0 until as late as the 87th minute when Ilias Chair found the back of the net from a set piece.

QPR then earned a draw in remarkable fashion, with goalkeeper Seny Dieng scoring a header in the second minute of added time to take a point back to London.

Sunderland’s start to life back in the Championship has still been a positive one overall, but they will want to get Saturday out of their system with all three points tomorrow night.

That will be no easy task up against Sheffield United, though, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side one of the most fancied in the division.

Here, we’ve predicted a potential Sunderland XI Alex Neil could deploy for the fixture.

In a familiar 3-4-1-2 line up, Anthony Patterson is highly likely to keep his place in-between the sticks.

In the back three though there looks set to be a change after Dan Ballard limped off during the QPR draw and is now set for a long time on the sidelines.

In for him could come Bailey Wright, who may potentially line up alongside Danny Batth and Dennis Cirkin.

Aside from that single change in defence, the rest of the side could remain the same.

That means Dan Neil and Corry Evans may once again start in the centre of the park, with Jack Clarke down the left flank out wide, and Lynden Gooch on the right.

Alex Pritchard could get the nod again ahead of Elliot Embleton in the attacking midfield position.

Meanwhile, Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms are likely to form the Black Cats attacking duo up top.

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