Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray drops a selection hint as he weighs up key Blackburn Rovers call

Evans, the club captain, missed Saturday's game due to suspension but has been an integral part of the team's strong form over the last six months.

Mowbray is also set to make a late call on Lynden Gooch, who is a doubt for the trip to Ewood Park with a toe injury.

Speaking about his selection dilemma, Mowbray made clear that he would be prepared to change a winning XI and added that his side would be facing a very different challenge on the road.

"What you try and lay down early is that the team is the most important thing," Mowbray said.

"We all have egos in whatever job we do, but you need everyone to understand that the team comes before individuals.

"If I feel we need another defender in this game, someone up the top end is going to be frustrated and vice versa if we're at home and I want someone else in the final third.

"We'll get to that point and hopefully I can get the balance right. Each game is different, I'm not one for 'keep a winning team', modern football has developed so much tactically with formations and rotations within that. You look at Blackburn, they've developed a lot of good rotations under the new coach. Their wing backs are almost playing inside almost like central midfielders, their attacking players come down the line and then their eights run into the space if your defender follows the wide player.

"So the coaching there is really good and we're looking forward to it, it's a really good challenge and we're ready to go and take it on."Blackburn head into the game in fifth place as a strong start to the campaign, and Mowbray is hopeful that his side can continue to find a cutting edge in the absence of their senior strikers.

"I think we're a good team," he said.

"I would never want to do us down, I think we're a good team with some really good individual footballers.

"I stand on the touchline and I think we're moving the ball around pretty well, we're getting into the final third and we're creating opportunities. We just haven't had that centre-forward, so we've just been trying to find that way of getting people into the box. I've spoken long and hard about changing the habits of midfield players to get into the six-yard box, it's not easy for them but there Embleton goes and does it for us on Saturday.

"They're working well, moving the ball well but what we've had to do is move Jack Clarke out from where he has been such a threat to try and get us some mobility and speed through the middle, to stretch the game.

"I think we're a good team, and we need to keep showing that camaraderie and spirit, if we do that we can give anyone at this level a game."